The Great Escape
by tellyourheartheadsup
Summary: The first year of college is tough, and with as many problems as the girls carry, it's no surprise. Four friends deal with heartbreak, homesickness and new experiences as they head the furthest away from home they've ever been. Ashley/Eve/Maria/Mickie.
1. Wild Young Hearts: Ashley

The Great Escape

_AN._ So this is a brand new idea I got about two months ago, and since then it hasn't left me alone. It was begging to be written and now I've gotten round to it—hopefully you guys like the idea as much as I do, and enjoy! :)

Chapter One – Wild Young Hearts

* * *

**ASHLEY**

* * *

An uneasy silence was beginning to set in the car, and Ashley was the first to notice the change in mood. The laughter and the general excitement at the start of the road trip was now dying down; being replaced with the bitter truth that no-one wanted to accept but had to.

With each mile passing by, the place known as home was simply becoming another memory; perhaps a place to look back on and think "wow, do you remember being there?" The situation was all too surreal, all too bittersweet.

"So this is really it." A voice from one of the back seats confirmed shakily.

She felt her grip tighten on the steering wheel, but refrained from rolling her eyes. "For God sake, Eve, don't ruin the mood. This is the start of something new; why not enjoy it?"

"I will when you do," retorted the brunette, and she could see the glare being aimed at her through the mirror. "I'm not like you; I can't listen to whiny rock music and then suddenly feel better."

A remark was on the tip of her tongue, but she quickly swallowed it down, naturally reverting back to her old habit of keeping to herself. Instead she focused on the road, fighting with her all might not to make an illegal u-turn and head straight back home.

In all honesty, Ashley didn't "suddenly feel better" about this road trip like Eve—her so-called friend—had proclaimed. She was simply a professional at not sharing her emotions, and more importantly, being the strong one for her friends' sake. There was a wall put up in front of her to block certain things out and keep certain things in, and that was just how she liked it.

_Nobody_, not even her best friend sat beside her, had been able to break the walls down.

Of course, that was on the inside. On the outside, however, she lived up to her punk-rocker look; sarcasm to the fullest, ridiculously critical of music and having a particular type of fashion sense just being a few of her traits. One would assume, on first impressions, that she was fairly confident in herself. She certainly brought out that factor with mischievous blue eyes and a familiar curve of a smirk on her full lips.

But to those who knew her best, which would most likely be her family and the friends surrounding her now, she was far from confident at times. She put up a barrier whenever there was something serious to be talked about, and she was never one to show how scared and lonely she really was.

"So anyway," was the playful voice that broke her train of thought, "how about some music to get us going?"

She glanced over to her best friend and couldn't help but smile. "Fine...oh, but none of that crap you like to call music."

"That would be nothing Britney Spears-wise, Mickie!" Bubbly as ever, Maria giggled from the back seat. "Trust me. I learnt from that mistake last week."

"Look, it just wasn't funny when I said I was going mad over what to pack in my suitcase and you had to go and blare out _You Drive Me Crazy_. Unacceptable; I had that song stuck in my head for hours after that."

"Maybe you just need a sense of humour." Eve remarked, playing with her perfectly curled locks.

"Maybe you need to keep your mouth closed." She shot right back.

"Okay, okay." Mickie held her hands up, as if calling an invisible truce. "We'll play Ash's music first since she's driving, and then take it in turns."

The three girls eventually agreed, staying silent when the brunette grabbed a pile of CDs from the glove compartment.

It was comforting to know that despite a new start their routine hadn't changed as of yet.

Mickie often acted like the mother of the group in tense times like these, calming down the girls and calling an end to every argument, no matter how serious. Maria was the girl who knew how to make everyone feel better, simply because of her lovely personality.

Admittedly, Ashley and Eve didn't have particular roles as _they_ were the ones who always started the arguments in the gang. Their relationship was different; fused together through mutual friends, but held apart by obvious differences. The other girls had suggested at one point that they really liked one another deep inside, but were too chicken to admit it. Predictably, they had gotten a scoff in response.

"Happy slash fun songs," muttered Mickie, eyeing the custom title on the CD cover. She teased, "Wow Ash, you actually have non-suicidal songs in your collection?"

"Shut up, you know I do."

The brunette giggled to herself as she slid the CD into its slot, seemingly content with her choice. A moment later, Fall Out Boy's _I Don't Care_ shot out the speakers, bringing, for the first time since the start of their road trip fifteen minutes ago, a unison of cheers from the girls.

The song, as far as they were concerned, was their anthem. Even Eve, the dance hall queen, could admit to finding the lyrics perfect to her status.

As the girls began to sing along—in horrible voices no less—Ashley focused on the road. Or at least she tried to. Thoughts of saying goodbye to her mom, dad and brother were already settling into her mind as memories, only to be remembered at significant times.

It should have hurt her to know that she could block things out so easily, and in a small way it did, but she had yet to realize it.

For now, she was following her mother's encouraging words, ignoring the pang of sadness she felt in her chest when she walked away from her home to look forward to college instead. She was starting a new chapter of her life; that was it.

"Hey." Mickie nudged her softly, prompting her to look away from her solid gaze ahead. "This is going to be fun, yeah?"

"Tons." She answered eventually and offered as best of a smile as she could muster.

Her best friend squeezed her hand once, as if to reassure her of something, before bursting into song again.

A ghost of a smile appeared on her lips, but disappeared just as quickly. "I'll say this once and once only," said Ashley over the noise, her dirty-blonde curls bouncing on her shoulders as she sat more upright. "If anyone, _Eve_, wants to stop, _Eve_, to go to the bathroom, _Eve_, and re-apply make-up, _Eve_, then say so now. I'm only stopping once..._Eve_."

The Latina muttered in response, "Jeez, someone overdosed on PMS this morning."

She found herself back to gripping the steering wheel in a death grip again, her knuckles turning white with the effort. She was only able to relax when the All-American Reject's _Move Along_ followed the first song. With the choice of music in her control for now, the journey would be just fine.

Ashley frowned momentarily.

That was all the journey would be. _Just_ fine.

* * *

This...this was much more than fine.

Despite a torturous two-hour session of Rihanna and Beyonce, and despite her rule being disregarded when Eve had to make several stops, Ashley was very much in a good mood. It seemed to take forever and a day to arrive at their new college, but just the sight of it was enough for her to forgive the distance.

Their surroundings were beautiful; all four girls knew it too, having to stop in awe for a moment when they stepped out of the car to be greeted by the tall buildings in front of them. The sunshine beaming down on the statues and nature around their new hall of residence was just an added bonus compared to what they were seeing.

Everything here was so golden...so peaceful.

Yeah, Ashley was definitely going to like it here. For the first time in a while, a smile lit up her face, gracing her features.

"Ahh, this is amazing!" Mickie was the first to break the stunned silence and rushed over to the other side of the car to shake her best friend senseless. "Can you believe this?!"

Maria and Eve were already hugging each other like there was no tomorrow, and at the sight her smile grew wider.

"Hell no, I can't!" She replied, allowing herself the rare moment of excitement. "I guess we better get used to it though."

The brunette opened her mouth to respond, only to be cut off by Maria flailing her arms around wildly and proclaiming, "Dorms! We have to go and find our dorm!"

Two bounced forwards, leaving Mickie and Ashley to share a look that clearly meant _"Well, what can you do?_" before they started on their way into the building too. Having prepared for this day a million times, they already knew they were sharing a room together, as were Maria and Eve. It was a lucky set-up and hopefully one that serve them well throughout their college years.

It took approximately half an hour for the duo to get settled into their new and spacious room. For Mickie that meant: jumping up and down on her bed, bouncing around the place with such an energy that could rival Maria's and finally placing her iPod, which she refused to leave out of her sight, onto the dresser beside her bed.

For Ashley, it was more of: check to see everything was in its place and that everything was up to inspection. It was. She turned to her excited friend, stifling a giggle as she asked, "You want to come and help me with our stuff?"

"Patience young one. It can be done later."

But she merely rolled her eyes and made a start back to the car. A moment after stepping out into the sun, she realized how baggy her black lowriders and how tight her white tank top felt under the sweltering heat. She _definitely_ would need a shower after this. Shaking out her skulls-and-crossbones top, she tried to hide the look of disgust forming on her face with the action. If there was one thing she hated, it was feeling hot and bothered.

Another thing she hated was almost getting run over, which happened just a minute later, when some maniac pulled out in front of her in (what she assumed to be) a slick new sports car. She didn't know the first thing about cars or their owners, but she was willing to bet the driver was the kind of person she would despise.

It seemed she would find out as the car came to a sudden halt, and a guy stuck his head out of the car. "Watch out, would ya?"

A frown automatically shaped her face. "I'm not the one driving like a mad man!" She replied hotly, narrowing her eyes as he smirked. "Sorry if I didn't expect a car to come charging at me."

"No problem, baby." He replied.

She simply glared, unable to stop herself from giving him the once-over from what she could see of him. He had shaggy dirty-blonde hair, green eyes and seemed—from what she could tell from the top half—to be wearing clothing of the indie rock persuasion.

Normally that would be her type, but his mouth let her down.

The unhappy young adult was relieved to see him duck his head back in and rev the engine again, and she put herself back into her task, walking over to the boot of her vehicle. Frustration helped to pull her bags out with unnecessary force, but when she slammed it back down, she had a reason for her frustration to turn into anger.

"Need any help?"

The guy was back.

Her eyes darted into the distance, where she saw the car neatly parked about two spots in front of hers. Well this was just great...an hour being there, and she was already being harassed.

"I think I've got it."

"Are you sure? It looks heavy and I'm sure," pausing, he made a not so subtle attempt at flexing the muscles under his _Foo Fighters _shirt, "I can help you out."

"What? So just because I'm a girl I'm not capable of carrying my own things?" He smirked further, and Ashley became a little more aggravated than she should have done. "Ugh, typical male. Well guess what, bud, I don't need your help. I'm perfectly—"

"Do you ever give your mouth a rest? I've known you for all of five minutes and I'm already wondering how the hell your friends put up with you." Another smirk later, he continued, "I'm Adam, by the way. Adam Copeland."

"And I'm not interested." She retorted.

In a certain way, she was interested though. His tattoos captured her attention, if only for a moment, along with his accent which she made out to be Canadian after much consideration.

"You keep telling yourself that." He licked his dry lips, appreciating her figure once more before adding, "I guess I'll see you around."

"Looking forward to it." She added sarcastically, only to find he was already gone.

Jaw clenched, she dragged her things through the sudden crowd of girls, and made it back to her new room about a minute later. She wasn't at all surprised to find Maria and Eve _still_ bouncing excitedly but in their room now, and she ignored them as she dropped her stuff to collapse onto her bed.

"Something wrong?" Maria enquired, twirling her red curls with little interest.

"Nothing. I just...really hate Canadians." Ashley concluded lamely, confusing her friends like she usually did with her odd little comments.

She let out a heavy sigh and rolled onto her side, blocking out her friends' voices and trying to quell the uneasy homesick feeling in her stomach.

* * *

So there's the first official chapter. I hope you enjoyed it, and please review :) If you don't—well be sure to enjoy it even if you're just putting it on alerts/faves.

So the first four chapters are going to be **Ashley, Eve, Maria **and **Mickie**, but then it should be all of them together. I've decided on pairings for Ashley and Eve already, but if you have any suggestions for Maria and Mickie then I'll take them into consideration.


	2. I Miss Him: Eve

The Great Escape

_AN._ Thank you to **Christal-R, xSomeKindaRush, TJ Sparkles, iNdy MiLk, WWEFan1990, AshlynnxHearts, jojocheer28, Melissa Cristina, Ashleymassarophan1, Embrace The Confusion, RKO.I.F, Thee Britty, pinkstar5996, JeffxMaria, Reverse of Fate, Cena-Wilson-Crazy, Miss. Fanfiction, AshMattXoXo **_and_ **rory21** for reviewing the last chapter.

WHOA. Wowza, seriously, I was expecting maybe a few reviews since I wasn't so sure about the idea; I only knew I loved it. But I guess you guys did too! Thanks :)

Chapter Two – I Miss Him

* * *

**EVE**

* * *

College life was different.

Eve Torres already knew it would be. She had to take a giant step to get to this stage in her life, to finally move on from high school and become a "proper" adult. That meant taking on a new responsibility, and looking out for herself for the first time in her life. The world seemed so much more intimidating now she had something else to worry about other than meeting up with friends so they could hang out at _Starbucks._

In a way, she was happy with the new arrangement.

It made a refreshing change to not be at home and feel neglected by her parents, who devoted their attention to her _amazing_ older brother. He was the star of the family, put up on his pedestal for his smart choices in life. He was a college graduate, and impressive in his line of work. Phillip was perfect, to sum him up in one word.

That was not to say she wasn't smart, however, as her grades were high too. She was just as smart as her brother, but the small fact was barely recognized. Her habit of going to the mall, shopping and buying ridiculously overpriced coffee was what separated the siblings. She liked to do the normal teenager things and that, in her parents' eyes, was bringing her down.

So yeah, in a way, she was happy to get away from all the scrutiny. Being criticized for who she was wasn't exactly a great way to live. College would provide her with the chance to start afresh, to allow her to feel..._okay_ again.

But this new life was hard too. Even with her presence for one day, the Latina already found herself missing the subtleties back home. She missed her mother's reassuring hugs and her father's crazy anecdotes—hell, she even missed her brother's annoying noogies.

She wasn't like Ashley, who easily blocked things out when she had to. Eve was different; she had to accept something before she could move on.

That was probably the reason she was having such trouble forgetting about her special someone back home. He was everything to her, and she knew she loved him. She told him so on the last night they spent together and he'd said it back straightaway, and with as much feeling.

He was her first love and nothing could change that, but college could change their relationship. She was certain it would.

"You're thinking about him again, aren't ya?" Maria interrupted her thoughts. When she looked over, the redhead greeted her with a soft giggle. "Aww, you've got a bad case of the lovebug."

"Yes." She sighed, but smiled all the same. "I do."

"Don't worry, my sweets; it'll all work out in the end."

Eve merely nodded and watched as her roommate fell onto her bed. A moment later, two ear buds were shoved into her ears and Maria's awful rendition of _Girls Just Wanna Have Fun_ filled the otherwise quiet room.

The brunette smiled. At least some things wouldn't change.

There was a couple of knocks to the door a moment later, distracting her from travelling back to earlier memories. When she answered to the call, she was more than surprised to see who their visitor was, but was unable to say anything.

"Let me in before I get caught."

Though confused, she allowed him an entry, and then shut the door behind him. Finally she asked, "Jeff, how did you get in the girls' dorm?"

The young guy stood before her with a huge grin on his face. "I have my ways."

"Jeff."

"Fine. I sneaked in when some random chick left the door open." He admitted bluntly. A moment later, he spotted the other "chick" in the room and waved. "Hey Maria."

"I wouldn't bother; she's in her own world right now."

That she was. Though her eyes were shut tightly, her mouth was wide open and belting out the next tune on her music player. "See the idiot walk!" She yelled, clearly unaware of their company...or her amount of noise. "See the idiot talk!"

"Well...she said it."

Eve smacked him playfully but couldn't help joining in with his laughter.

If she had to use only one word to describe her friend, it would be: fun. Plain and simple. Jeff Hardy, younger brother of her boyfriend, was everything she could ask for in a friend. He was caring—this proven in their conversations when she was upset—and just great to be around. His multicoloured hair and eccentric style pretty much matched his personality.

Over Maria's singing session, he asked, "So how are you?"

The bad thing about being such good friends was that she knew him too well, and therefore knew his question had a deeper meaning than the casual enquiry.

She smiled softly. "I miss him...a lot."

"I know." He smiled back. "He misses you too."

She unknowingly fingered the bracelet wrapped around her wrist; a present given to her by Matt, her boyfriend. She finally said, "Well this could be a good thing. Maybe our relationship will grow stronger given the distance."

"Yeah...maybe." Jeff offered. After a beat, he added, "Well I better go and find my girlfriend. I know she's in one of these rooms at least."

"Good luck with that."

After a quick hug from her and a failed attempt at saying goodbye to the singing sensation, Jeff disappeared. The brunette was left to sit back on her bed as she was left alone, but soon found herself staring at Maria.

As if by some strange magic, the redhead looked over at her, pulling her ear buds out. "Hey, you would have thought Jeff would have come around by now huh?"

Eve only laughed. How her best friend could be so oblivious to things around her, she didn't know.

* * *

"That guy really doesn't know how to take a hint."

Eve turned her head, following Ashley's gaze to another table outside the cafe. The sunlight beamed down on the table, making it hard for the girls to see, but she could have sworn to have seen the guy looking at her dirty-blonde friend instead of her.

Cocky as it sounded, the attention from a guy was usually for her or Maria.

"And who is he?" Mickie queried towards her best friend after taking of sip of her iced drink.

"Some Adam guy," said the annoyed girl in response, rolling her eyes when she noticed him and his friends make their way over. "Oh great."

"You just can't leave me alone, can you?" Adam teased when he reached.

The three girls tried hard to hold in their laughter as Ashley's mouth opened and closed in disbelief, striking an uncanny resemblance to a mindless goldfish.

"Hey, that's okay," he continued with ease, "I would be speechless if I were to meet me too."

"Huh?" Maria cocked her head to the side.

"You." Ashley scolded darkly. She'd found her voice at last. "First of all, did I not say that I wasn't interested before? That still stands by the way. Second of all, you're the one who came over to me. I was perfectly fine ignoring you." She slumped down in her seat childishly.

"You're cute when you're annoyed."

"I'm not—ugh!"

Eve giggled to herself as she watched the pair, but then found her eyes drifting to the table they came from, where two guys sat. One was blonde, the other dark-haired, but both seemed bored as they leaned back in their seats.

She nudged Maria in the side and waited until she had her full attention before asking, "You wanna go make some new friends?"

As the redhead had been saying they needed friends ever since the start of their road trip yesterday, the offer was basically accepted on the dot. She and her friend rose from their seats and left Ashley to deal with her problem, and for his friends to take their spots.

The redhead was full of energy when they reached the guys. "Hey!"

They seemed to be taken off-guard—not that Eve would blame them; her best friend was a ball of hyperactivity ready to explode at times—but smiled when they noticed the attention.

"Hi." The dark-haired guy replied first, followed by the blonde.

"So I'm Maria," she began, completely content to introduce herself to strangers, "and this is Eve. I think your friend is trying to chat mine up back there, but it's not working."

"That's Adam for you." The guy chuckled, and stuck his hand out towards Maria. "I'm Randy, by the way."

"My name is Mike Mizanin." The blonde added and made the same gesture towards Eve.

Impressed, she shook his hand before smiling. "Wow, that's a mouthful."

"Well the guys all call me _The Miz_." He said quickly, seemingly embarrassed by his full name. "You can just call me that."

"Okay, Miz." Her smile turned into a grin. "Well it was nice to meet you. You too, Randy."

"Likewise." He offered, but his eyes quickly flickered back to the girl beside her. "So are you ready for the start of classes tomorrow, Maria?"

The bubbly girl's eyes widened and Eve knew it as a sign she would talk for a while, and so she settled herself into the seat next to Mike.

"So are you nervous?" He asked her as he leant forward. "The guys won't admit it, but I think they're decking the official start tomorrow."

"I am...but I think that's pretty standard, right? It's like high school but a little more responsible, a little more grown-up." She felt her smile drop but fought to keep it up for his sake. "What courses did you take?"

As he offered his choices, she found herself strangely happy to find they would be in some of the same classes together—well they would be as far as she knew. He seemed like a nice enough guy, and it would help to know at least one person in the college aside from her girl friends and Jeff.

"That's awesome." She grinned after he finished. "So I guess we'll be seeing a lot of each other."

"Yeah." Mike smiled. After a beat, he hesitantly added, "A cousin of mine goes here too, and he's throwing a party at the end of the week. You think you would be interested?"

_You think I would be interested?! Hell yeah!_

"Sure," she hid her excitement, clearing her throat, "I'd love to."

Her friends had proclaimed her as the ultimate dance-hall queen, and she did live up to her status. It was yet to be discovered at her new college—she'd half-hoped that people wouldn't find out about her partying habits—but the offer was far too tempting to refuse.

"Alright. Well let's swap numbers and I'll get back to you with the details."

"Oh sure."

As she got her cell phone out, she couldn't help but to think, _he's not too bad looking_. Then she immediately felt guilty as she thought of Matt, and fought hard not to hit herself on the head for her mistake. Whether it was just a thought or not, it wasn't at all respectable—at least in her mind, it wasn't.

After swapping numbers, she nudged Maria for the second time, only to find her still in deep conversation with Randy. "Come on, let's go girly," she advised, eyeing her own table, "Ash looks like she's ready to blow."

"Okay," beamed the redhead, standing to join her. "It was nice meeting you, Randy. Bye."

He simply smiled in response.

After a moment, Eve was forced to roll her eyes. Clearly the guy was a new crush of her best friend's, as now Maria was _still_ looking at him. Forcing her legs to walk, she pulled her away from the table and back to their own.

They caught up with the conversation when Ashley muttered through gritted teeth, "I'm going to tell you three words now."

"Let's hook up?"

"No!" She exclaimed with a look of disgust. "Leave me alone!" Upon seeing Eve and Maria, she grabbed both of their wrists, nodding to Mickie. "We're going. _Now_."

Not one to argue with a pissed off Ashley Massaro, Eve followed her lead. She only turned back once and that was to sneak a glance at the table they'd approached. When she found Mike—or The Miz—smiling at her, she smiled back, very aware of the blush that caught her cheeks in the process.

Once back in the girls dorm, Ashley let go of their wrists, leaving her relieved as the numb feeling turned into pins and needles. "Jeez, woman, you're gonna kill someone one of these days."

"Better be that guy." The dirty-blonde girl almost growled before she stalked away.

Mickie simply shook her head as she turned to face the two. "That girl...she doesn't know chemistry even when it hits her in the face."

"I didn't think Ash was taking Chemistry."

Both Mickie and Eve shared a look, holding back their laughter, before the brunette uttered, "Okay, I'm gonna go and listen to Ash complain about the guy for hours on end. I'll see you tonight; we've got the orientation thing, right?"

"Sure."

After her friend had disappeared, Eve and Maria headed into their dorm, finding the first half of their day to be interesting to say the least. The Latina could see her life in college being exciting, and she smiled at the thought.

Still clutching onto her phone, she was temporarily surprised when she felt the item vibrate in her palm. Once she was aware of what happened, she read the message.

_I miss you, I love you. Matt x_

A sad smile curved Eve's lips.

Before she had a chance to reply, another text came in. _That boy just can't leave me alone_, she thought to herself jokingly.

_Looking forward to getting to know you. Miz._

The smile slipped right off her face.

The girl didn't know what to think now. So after setting her phone on her bedside dresser, she headed into the bathroom, picking up a fresh pile of towels on her way. She needed a shower to clear her thoughts; that was the least she could do before the inescapable drama swallowed her whole.

* * *

So there's the next chapter. Please review :)

Up next is **Maria's **chapter.


	3. Crush: Maria

The Great Escape

**AN:** Thank you to **AshMattXoXo, Thee Britty, Melissa Cristina, josey, Ashleymassarophan1, xSomeKindaObsession, RKO.I.F, Ignorance was Bliss, WWEFan1990, jojocheer28, Cena-Wilson-Crazy **_and_ **TJ Sparkles **for reviewing the last chapter.

You guys are amazing :)

Chapter Three – Crush

* * *

**MARIA**

* * *

As per usual, Maria Kanellis was in her own little bubble.

Delicate fingers picked at the photographs on her dresser, re-arranging them to their new perfect position. A triumphant smile lit up her face as she approved of the order, but her eyes drifted away from the sight as soon as a sudden noise distracted her.

"Ten minutes until we have to leave, Maria."

She nodded in response to Eve, who went back to curling her brunette locks, and turned back to her pictures. It was quite the task to calm down her racing heart; being a fragile person she just about suffered a heart attack at the slightest thing.

"So girly, you have to tell me," her roommate's voice drew her away from a picture of her and her sister, "do you have a crush?"

"On who?"

"On who?" Eve repeated with a scoff. "On Randy! Jeez, you know the guy we met earlier? I have to admit he's easy on the eyes."

"You sound like my mother when you say that."

"Oh sorry. Girl, he is one hot piece of—"

"Thank you, Eve," giggled the redhead as she perched herself on the edge of her bed. "But I wouldn't go as far as to say I have a crush...I mean, Randy's a good looking guy and all...he's not someone I wouldn't want to have a conversation with..." At the knowing look on her friend's face, she grinned. "Okay. I have a full-on crush."

"Well you'll probably be seeing a lot of each other soon. If I were you, I would make my move already."

"It's a good thing I'm not you then. Besides, I barely even know the guy! It's been a day; that's not enough time to develop a major crush on some guy...even if he is REALLY cute!"

"Aww, you've got it bad."

"Ugh, gag me."

Two heads shot to the conflicting voices, and they weren't surprised to find Mickie and Ashley standing at their open door. What was even less surprising was the dark scowl on the dirty-blonde girl's face.

"Hey, we thought we'd come by early." Mickie informed them. "Stressy pants over here wants to get a seat so she can—in her own words—get this over with sooner rather than later. But I know she's just secretly thrilled to start her courses tomorrow, aren't you Ashes?"

Ashley blinked.

"Okay." Maria laughed after a long and painful silence. "Let's get to the hall and find somewhere to sit."

She didn't want to admit it, but as she linked arms with Eve, she was feeling nervous. She was suddenly all too aware of the fact she would be an official college student as of tomorrow, but an excited energy ran through her all the same.

A light smile touched her lips as she lagged behind her friends in the journey it took to find the hall.

She was too busy having family on her mind and reminiscing about life back home. She was close with every member in her household, and while it was quite hard adjusting to her new surroundings, their words of encouragement had a positive enough effect on her.

She was _ready_.

Lost in her thoughts, the redhead barely noticed when Eve tugged on her shoulder to get her to sit down. In fact, the only person who distracted her was Randy, who waved to her from the other side of the room. She tried her best not to blush as she lifted a hand to wave back.

To her surprise, the orientation flew by and it wasn't until she was back in her room that she realized tomorrow would be a bigger deal than she expected. The goals set for them back in the hall, the proud speech of their college ratings and results...it was to be lived up to. Their college was a prestigious place, and she would be lying if she said she didn't feel privileged to be accepted into such a gathering.

Personally, Maria was looking forward to breaking a few records of her own. So after chatting excitedly to Eve for a little over twenty minutes, they both settled into their beds, and turned their lamps off for a shot at a good night's sleep.

The silence was strangely satisfying.

* * *

"Mom, I'll be perfectly fine."

Maria tried her best not to giggle as she listened to her mother's voice on the other end of the line, warning her about first day nerves and telling her just to "be herself". She intended to take the advice, but just to be nice, as she couldn't see herself becoming anyone else. She didn't _know_ how to be anyone else.

Wedging her phone between her head and shoulder securely, she used both hands to grab her bag and pull the strap over her petite frame. "Yep, sure. I really do have to go now, but say hi to everyone from me and hopefully I'll see you soon."

She waited a moment for a response, smiled and then hung up. Her gaze lingered on her phone for a little while longer before she reluctantly slipped it into her back pocket and turned to face the mirror.

Highly interested in fashion, she liked to make sure she mixed and matched her clothes, calling the look "glam-rock". Not a lot of people recognized her style—nor did they care—but her hobby kept her happy, and so she didn't mind the small fact.

"A college student." She beamed proudly at her reflection. "I look like a college student."

Excitement wasn't even the word to describe how she felt inside; ecstatic maybe, as she was more than ready for the new challenge in her life. Maria's mind was creative at all times, imagining fairy-tale situations for every occasion—and the start of college was no exception.

Though today wasn't in her control, she'd imagined what it would be like perfectly. The phone call from home was already a given, as was the great mood she was in after receiving it. All that was left to be decided was the rest of the day, which she was sure would be great. And even if the day didn't go exactly to plan, she certainly wouldn't be disappointed. Just the fact she was in college was enough to put a smile on her face.

Out of her circle of friends, she was certainly the dreamer.

In fact, Mickie had once proclaimed how proud of her she was, as Maria never allowed _anything_ to get her down. She looked at the optimistic side of things, choosing to believe any problem could be resolved over time given the right attitude.

Perhaps that was why she was always trying to get Ashley to open up. Even though her stubborn friend would do no such thing, she still held the glorious image of the day she would admit to her problems and seek help from those closest to her.

"Hey, sweetie." A soft voice pulled her from her distant gaze of the mirror. She could see her roommate's reflection behind hers, and smiled at the glass. "You're gonna knock 'em dead."

A few seconds later, the brunette had disappeared.

Maria simply grinned. Then she snapped back into work-mode and double-checked to make sure she had everything with her she could think of taking. Once she was sure, she offered the room one last look, and finally stepped out.

A refreshing gust of fresh air swept towards her as soon as she stepped out of the building and into the blinding sunshine, setting the perfect ambience to the morning. It seemed like the perfect morning to her; she only hoped it would get better.

Known to be fairly oblivious to certain things, it was no surprise when she failed to notice a particular someone follow her around, picking up her pace even when she fell behind in step.

Finally, she was made aware when the voice uttered, "Maria."

Startled, she whipped her head around, only to then find Jeff behind her and holding his hands up to his eyes. Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion as she asked, "What are you doing?"

"Well I was going to say wait up 'cause we have the same class, but I've just been partially blinded by your hair."

"Oh." She giggled innocently, patting him on the arm. "Sorry about that. My hair is a little out of control sometimes."

Pushing her bag round to her side, Maria pulled her hair back into a ponytail, her way of ensuring no more sudden whip-around injuries. The smile stayed on her face as they walked to their classroom together, but faded just a little when they finally reached.

_It's okay_, she thought to herself confidently enough, _you're here to make friends too. Remember? It should be easy._

If people were willing then, yes, it would be easy to become friends with someone like Maria Kanellis. There was nothing to hate about her; to get annoyed by, maybe, but not hate.

The moment she spotted Randy, her smile brightened and she was secretly thrilled when he made a gesture to suggest they join her. Grabbing Jeff's wrist, who was busy checking out the room, she almost bounced over to the back of the room.

"Hey." He greeted her, leaning against the back of a desk coolly. "You look excited."

"Oh, I am...totally!" The idea to calm down that shot through her mind was looking very good right about now. The smile he offered in response, however, was enough for her to ignore it. "So this is Jeff." She practically shoved him into the circle of students. "He's my best friend's boyfriend's brother."

Randy raised an eyebrow. "Uh...wow, but hey, nice to meet you man."

"Likewise." Jeff nodded, shaking his head as he turned back to the girl who introduced him. "Maria, I swear you're going to be the death of me one day." But his mock-speech ended when he noticed another person walk through the door. "Oh there she is. See ya in a bit."

Maria followed his gaze as he walked away, and smiled lightly when she saw the dark-haired girl. Her name was Candice Michelle, and she was his girlfriend.

"Man, is that Candice?" Adam smirked as he appeared out of the blue. Leaning into Randy, he whispered in a not-so-subtle way, "Haven't seen her since her birthday party back on vacation, know what I mean?"

He and Mike bumped knuckles in a way Maria knew to be "boy-code" for a hug, but she was confused at their meaning this time. She risked a glance at Randy, who looked like he was stuck in an awkward situation and wanted to escape.

"Adam," he uttered eventually, "this is Maria, Jeff's _friend._"

The Canadian managed a look of guilt as his eyes flickered to her, but a moment later he was smirking again. "Hey, you're friends with that chick right?"

"Eve?"

"No, not her. Mike's into her."

Before the fact could sink in, she tried again. "Mickie?"

"Nah." He shook his head. "The blonde one."

"Oh, Ashley?"

"That's the one." He nodded and laughed. "She's gonna be so pissed that I know her name the next time I see her."

_The guys here are weird_ was Maria's innocent thought as she twisted her lips.

She was unable to think of much more on the matter, as a distraction came in the form of a middle-aged man walking into the room. She assumed him to be their professor for the seminar, and couldn't help the excitement shooting through her as she absentmindedly picked the seat in front of Randy's.

This was the new chapter in her life; the turn of the page that brought on a new adventure...a new challenge. She was all for it.

There was a collection of at least fifteen students united in silence in the room, as their professor announced himself, and the importance of the class.

All the while, Maria was trying not to squeal in anticipation.

She was still fairly connected to her childish reactions, and the sudden urge to burst out into a quick round of _Walking on Sunshine_ was almost too tempting to refuse. That wouldn't be a good first impression, however, and she leaned back in her seat instead.

It was a couple of minutes later that she had a...feeling. A certain feeling. She got a hunch that someone was watching her, and she risked the chance to turn around. Upon doing so, she met Randy's eyes, and then his smile.

Maria bit down on her bottom lip as she turned back to the front of the room. _Oh yeah, this is going to be a good class..._

* * *

"That was awesome." The redhead uttered lowly as she slipped out of the room with Jeff and Candice trailing after her. "I made it through the first class."

"Did you have any doubt that you wouldn't?" laughed her dark-haired friend, but her gaze soon focused on someone over her shoulder.

"I guess not," said Maria in response, choosing not to notice the suspicious behaviour. "So I'll see you guys later, okay?"

They both nodded and, after Jeff grabbed Candice by the waist and pulled her away, she was left alone. A sigh of relief escaped her lips as she indulged in her small slice of perfection for the morning, and she pulled her new books closer to her with great pleasure.

"Later, Maria."

She turned to find Mike and Adam nodding to her, and she smiled back. She could get used to the new-friends thing; _exactly_ what she wanted from the college experience.

The redhead discreetly pulled out a map from her bag, unfolded the crease and soon became involved in finding the next place she had to go to. Concentrating, she continued with her habit of biting down on her lip, and didn't even notice when she bit a little too hard.

Only the coppery taste slipping into her mouth warned her of her mistake, and by then she was being distracted by her new crush—yes, she could officially admit to the not-so-secret secret—walking out of the room to join her.

He looked so cool, so collected...so _hot._

She was absolutely positive she would enjoy her time here.

"Maria, I want you to meet someone." Randy smiled as he pulled a beautiful blonde to his side suddenly. "This is my girlfriend, Michelle."

The only problem with always expecting the best out of situations was when something—or someone—let her down suddenly, the disappointment was so much harder to deal with. So for the first time, Maria was forced to hold up her smile as she shook hands with the girl standing opposite her.

* * *

So there's the next chapter. Please review :)

Coming up next is **Mickie's **chapter.


	4. Just Like a Tattoo: Mickie

The Great Escape

**AN:** Thank you to **jojocheer28, Thee Britty, Melissa Cristina, WWEFan1990, Christal-R, AshMattXoXo, Cena-Wilson-Crazy, xSomeKindaRush, RKO.I.F, TJ Sparkles, Ashleymassarophan1, JeffxMaria. **_and_ **rory21** for reviewing the last chapter.

You guys are super amazing! :D

Chapter Four – Just Like a Tattoo

* * *

**MICKIE**

* * *

_Currently listening to: You Get What You Give – New Radicals._

_Haha, beat that bro!_

_Hey Mom and Dad!_

_I know you don't like me to start my emails like that—all non official and stuff—but at least the idiot known as my brother will quit being impatient and stop peering over your shoulder now. Am I right? Well even if I'm not, tell him to find a better feel-good song than that! I'm SO winning this week's music challenge!_

_So anyway, I know you asked how college was going a couple hundred times (just kidding, love you) so here's the answer: it's awesome! I know it's only been a couple of days but I'm having a blast. This place is WAY better than high school and I feel like my opinion actually matters around here. I've had a few seminars with Ash and Eve—unfortunately none with Maria—so I guess that's pretty cool._

_Oh and speaking of Ash, she says hi...well no, that's a lie. But if she wasn't too busy sulking about her own problems then she would totally be saying hello. You know how she is._

_Eve's got herself invited to a party on Friday night...a sort of welcoming party, I think. Either way I'll be going...and there's nothing you can do about it. Na na na na na! You're both rolling your eyes now, aren't ya? Sorry, but I'll be really responsible, I promise. I know you both trust me; hopefully that's enough for you._

_I should go now. I'm going to grab some lunch with the girls and then head to my afternoon classes. I love you, Mickie x_

Fairly content, the brunette pressed the send button and leaned back comfortably in her seat. A soft smile curved her lips as she watched the screen change, and then brightened when she swivelled around in her seat to face her best friend's bed.

Finding Ashley with her head down in her books, she smiled. "Hey study-girl, you ready to go out for lunch?"

"Why? Have you finished your email?" The dirty-blonde girl replied, tapping her pen against her chin as she tried to work out a problem.

"Yep—I told the rents you said hi. Have you written to yours yet?"

"Nope."

"Are you going to?" She pondered, trying to quell the feeling of worry she reserved for her best friend at all times. "I know you haven't since we got here."

"It's only been a few days. I'll do it...at some point." Finally, Ashley snapped her book shut and offered an entirely fake smile. "Alright, let's go. I need a break from Sociology."

"Well okay. As long as you do get round to calling them or something."

All she got in response was a nod, and she couldn't help but to feel concerned as she watched her hurriedly get ready for their outing. Try as she might, she couldn't stop herself from caring about her troubled friend. Her stubborn attitude was sometimes a good thing, but mostly bad—especially in this case.

Nor could she stop herself from caring for Eve or Maria, who both had their problems whether they knew it or not. She looked out for the Latina because of her partying habits—as a lightweight, she was one to look out for—while she watched over the redhead simply because of her naivety.

In fact, Mickie spent so much time being the "mother" to everyone else, she barely thought about herself. Her problems weren't at all significant when she had other things and people to worry about.

Besides, she felt she was aware of her less-than-hectic life.

"Ready?"

Crashing back into reality, the brunette stood up, quickly pressing the button to turn off her computer. "I'm ready, Ashes."

And finally her overprotective nature was dropped as she linked arms with her best friend and left their room.

* * *

Mickie loved her classes.

Just knowing that she was placed with a bunch of intellectuals—instead of the jocks and brainless cheerleaders back in high school—was fantastic enough, but this was really something else. She found herself anticipating her lessons, and not just because of first-week excitement.

Something had changed.

Out of nowhere, a newer, much more confident version of herself had been revealed. She was no longer afraid to voice her opinion on an important matter and nor did she care if her answer came to be one so different from the rest. She was perfectly content to make mistakes—to create a _new_ response—just so she could get her point across.

Mature really wasn't the word to describe their class discussions; it was so much more than that, as far as she was concerned.

She wasn't going to lie; if told to tell the truth, she would have no problem saying she loved people to know she was smart. In fact, back home she was always telling the guys who asked her out—an approximate of three; one of whom was a jock for a dare—that their IQ level couldn't possibly keep up with hers. Harsh, but it got her point across—that and she didn't want to date them in the first place.

So, yes, she was both mature and smart. Ashley was always saying _"You know, you're already grown up. When you were ten, you were already twenty in your mind. So now you're probably about...thirty. How are you enjoying it?"_ and while it was said in a jokey way, it was most definitely true. She couldn't help her personality; her soft yet sharp side made her who she was.

Mickie had a feeling it was partly from an influence on her parents' part. Her mother was caring and sweet while her father was strict and priority-based. She liked to think she was a mixture of both.

And while she knew who she was—or better yet, what she was—_nothing_ could compare to this. This chapter of her life was meant for her, she knew.

Along with the page turn came a new bunch of friends. Mickie, being just a little insecure despite herself, hadn't expected to gel so well with everyone else. She'd walked into the place expecting it to be the exact same as high school but, while there were bitchy types around, most were friendly.

But friendly wouldn't even begin to describe the guys who sat behind her, and had apparently taken a liking to her.

"And here she comes again."

She tried not to grin as she spotted two familiar boys already in their seats.

"We've known each other for only a day, but you've brightened the next already."

"Oh, God, where did you get that one from?" Now she grinned. A flash of blonde hair passed her as she took her seat. In a moment, he was perched on her desk and she fought hard not to roll her eyes, "So have you figured out what my name is yet, Christian?"

"Now you're just mocking me." Christian smirked. "Using my name and _then_ asking for yours?" He turned to his friend, who hadn't moved from the seat behind Mickie. "Chris, I think we're going to like this one. She's like Trish, you know? In that stubborn sense anyway..."

"Hey, I have _no idea_ what you're talking about here," she cut him off, glancing in-between the pair, "but it's not my fault that you wanted to play the name game with me. I came in yesterday perfectly willing to introduce myself but you—"

"Wanted to guess your name, I know. Of all the times not to listen to what someone was saying, why didn't I listen for your name when the prof was confirming us?"

She merely smirked. "Keep on guessing."

"Yep." Chris spoke at last, matching her smirk easily. He turned to his friend again. "She's _definitely_ as stubborn as Trish."

"Who is this Trish person you're talking about anyway?"

"Only the most awesome chick to be friends with on the planet," bragged Christian, returning to his seat and forcing her to turn to them. "We both had a thing for her once...but, eh, it didn't quite turn out right."

"Seriously?"

"You wanna know more?" When Mickie nodded, Chris smirked again. "We'll let you know when you tell us your name."

Perfectly comfortable in their presence, she stuck her tongue out at them. "You'll never know now."

A smile graced her features as she turned to face the front again, widening when she heard Chris mutter _"Oh, she's good"_. Apparently she was—despite only knowing them for a day, and not even knowing them properly, they were as good as friends in their status.

For her, that meant a lot.

The playful moods settled quite a bit when their professor made his entry a couple of minutes later, but right on time. He seemed pleased to see them all already dedicated to arriving within the correct time-frame, and Mickie grinned. She had a feeling this particular class was going to rock.

In the middle of scribbling notes down, she failed to notice when another being made their presence known, and was only made aware when a knock came to the door. The students were momentarily distracted by the interruption, but soon returned to their work.

Everyone except for Mickie.

In fact, she was rather intrigued as she took in the appearance of the guy at the door. A hoodie covered his top half, baggy jeans the lower; it was his jet-black hair, however, that caught her attention. In just the right moment, she caught him whip his hair as he turned his head to the front of the class.

With only one commercial in her mind, all she could think was, _Whoa...he's totally worth it._

"I was told you were expecting me." He spoke a moment later to the teacher, the faintest of smiles on his face. "I came in a day late."

As the information processed with the professor, Mickie bit down on her pen. She was _still_ looking at him, wondering what it was about him that seemed so...interesting. On first impressions, he seemed like a bit of a _punk_, and that wasn't usually her type. Ashley's maybe, but never hers.

After the professor stepped out, the—clearly—new student was left to loiter, and he glanced around the room upon doing so. Unfortunately for Mickie, he caught her gaze before she could look away. Now an amused smile curved his lips. "Can I help you?"

Noting how the students in the class all turned to face her, the rare blush crept to her cheeks. "Oh, um..." She trailed off, wondering what to say, only to be captured by the tattoos travelling from his arms down to his wrists. "Nice tattoos...yeah, that's it."

"Right..."

Then she was forced to turn away from him. She made a mental note to pat herself on the shoulder—directly after hitting herself—for wearing her hair down, as she was able to hide behind her brunette locks.

"This girl is going to be legendary." Christian made the matter worse, and the sound of a hand slapping against another was heard. Clearly his friend agreed. "I like her already."

That was all she needed to hear, and she sunk down into her seat.

Apparently with the confident version of herself came a side-order of geek, and she'd just ordered another helping of it.

* * *

Mickie was fairly surprised to find Eve and Maria waiting for her when she returned to her room later on in the day. Better yet, she was surprised to find them gathered on _her_ bed and with a great collection of clothing surrounding them.

"Have I missed something?" She laughed as she placed her books on her dresser, walking towards them. "You _do_ know the pair of you have your own room right?"

"Don't be silly," giggled Maria as she bounced to her feet. "Of course we know! We're here because we want your opinion on what we should wear on Friday night. The party is only a couple of days away, you know—"

"Really? Oh, I wasn't aware." She joked, but nudged her friend in the side. "So don't tell me Eve has given you the party-bug too. It wouldn't surprise me."

The brunette mocked a gasp. "I did no such thing!" After calming, her smile dropped. "Actually she came to me and said she wanted to get all dressed up and have a good time so it has nothing to do with me. If you ask me, I think she wants to forget about her little problem."

"What problem does she have?"

"Hello!" The redhead exclaimed, waving frantically. "I _am_ still in the room, you know! And I don't have a _problem_. I never did."

But Eve ignored her. "Our lovely gal has been crushed. Randy has a girlfriend."

"The guy you like? Aww," she sympathized, offering a little side-hug, "no worries, Maria, life goes on."

"I _do _know that for myself thanks. Besides, it was _just_ a crush in the first place—I can't hurt if I never really developed feelings for him right?" She beamed triumphantly when neither said a thing, returning to her bubbly self. "Now, okay, the dress or the skirt and this really cute top?"

"Uh...the dress, I suppose." Mickie supplied with a shrug.

In all honesty, she didn't know a whole lot about fashion, and often left it to Maria as she was obsessed with the subject. The only thing she was obsessed about was...well, _everything_, if she really thought about it.

Getting Ashley to open up, curing her incredibly bad moments, and not thinking about guys. The last was a tricky task, but she managed it well.

At least she thought she did.

"You've got that smile on your face!" Eve suddenly exclaimed, clapping her hands together. "It's that _I saw a guy I liked today_ smile. Come on, spill."

She raised an eyebrow, first at Maria and then towards her clearly deluded friend. "I have that sort of smile?"

"Everyone does. Now, come on, don't change the subject. Who is he? And no, I won't leave you alone until you tell me..."

The brunette bit down on her bottom lip as she glanced in-between the two. Despite her rule of not letting the girls know of her love issues, it was time for a change. She did like this guy, after all, even if she'd embarrassed herself in their first official meeting. "Okay. So he's new apparently, a day late or something...and his name is Phil—"

Only Mickie didn't get to finish her story as Ashley made her presence known, shoving the door open and bursting into the room. She looked a little red in the face, but out of annoyance rather than breath. "Alright. Who the _hell_ told that jerk my name?!"

* * *

So there's the next chapter. Please review :)

And there you have it; all four girls profiles. Anyone have a favourite so far or is it still too early? I know it's too early for me to decide anyway, haha. Oh and _just because_ I've introduced some of the guys, you shouldn't think the pairing is set in stone. Mkay? Just keep that in mind.


	5. We Just Like to Party

The Great Escape

**AN:** Thank you to **Cena-Wilson-Crazy, jojocheer28, Christal-R, Nessa, Thee Britty, , xSomeKindaRush, Ashleymassarophan1, WWEFan1990, AshlynnxHearts, Melissa Cristina, JeffxMaria, RKO.I.F, TJ Sparkles, purplefeather21 **_and_ **Deeelyndz **for reviewing the last chapter.

You guys are amazing :)

Chapter Five – We Just Like to Party

* * *

**THE GIRLS**

* * *

Although the girls were just approaching the end of the road, the music pumping from the sorority house was already setting vibrations along the ground. Cheers and wolf-whistles accompanied the noise to ensure the party mood that Friday evening.

"I officially love Mike for giving you the word about this party!" Maria exclaimed excitedly, her red curls bouncing as she twirled over to her best friend. "Tonight is going to be incredible!"

Eve cheered in appreciation. "Hell yeah!"

The two linked arms and turned to Mickie, toning down their excitement for her benefit. Both wore innocent looks on their faces as they waited for the verdict.

"Have fun." The brunette merely sighed. "But don't get too carried away!" She warned quickly.

With her approval, they turned to the fun-crusher of the group, who offered, "Eve, don't let some jackass get you a drink; get it yourself...and Maria...just remember to calm yourself down every once in a while."

Ashley rolled her eyes as they practically ran towards the party. She kept her pace slow alongside Mickie as their ears were infected with Metro Station's contagious _Shake It _tune.

Their routine for a party was quite simple and followed through on every occasion. The rules made by the more sensible girls of the group—namely the duo still trudging along—were meant for Eve mainly. Usually they weren't broken, as a promise of a good ass-kicking never failed to keep her on the right track, but this was a college party—they'd already established the rules here were different.

"I don't even know why I'm here," sighed the dirty-blonde eventually. "I mean, a party on the first week? I have work to do, you know...and I'm being dragged here? It just doesn't make sense. You know what else sucks? I heard _he's_ going to be here. Could this be anymore—"

"Your mouth is running too much again," interrupted Mickie, shooting a pointed look in her direction.

Ashley mocked a gasp. "Okay. Why do I feel like _You're Unbelievable _by EMF should be playing in the background now?"

"Because I'm unbelievable, baby," teased the brunette, winking.

"Ohh!" She couldn't help but to add in tune, and the two broke into laughter. "Well alright I get your point. I'm still unhappy though."

"Well there's a shocker. What's the problem this time?"

She merely shook her head, deciding, as they entered the party zone, that it wasn't worth her time to try and explain herself over a _Lady GaGa _tune. Instead the two ambled through the student-filled rooms together, only pausing when Mickie spotted people she knew.

"Christian!" She yelled over the music, and grinned when both he and Chris recognized her and called her over. When she reached, she continued, "How long have you been here?"

"Half an hour at the most," shrugged Chris in response.

"And you haven't left yet?" Ashley interjected with a look of disbelief on her face. "This is awful." She then scowled.

"Don't worry about her." Mickie shrugged the insult off as her best friend disappeared through a crowd of people. "She's constantly PMSing about stuff."

"Right." Chris nodded, hopping up onto the kitchen counter. "So are you going to tell us your name now?"

"I'll give you a hint," she giggled, "okay?"

"Sure."

"It begins with an M and ends with an E. Okay?"

"Darn," laughed Christian after taking a sip of beer. "I totally had you down as a Martha."

"Do I look like a Martha to you?" She raised an eyebrow. "No, I don't think so."

He opened his mouth to retort, only to be distracted when Chris widened his eyes and landed back onto his feet. Neither around him could say a word and only watched as he walked up to a particular someone and begun with, "No, no, no!" It was Adam. "You and Christian are not going off somewhere to cause trouble."

Christian grinned as he turned to Mickie. "He's my best buddy. Everyone seems to think—for some weird reason—that we're trouble when we get together."

"Maybe because it's true?"

"Yeah...maybe." His eyebrows furrowed in confusion for a moment. "Anyway, I'm gonna see who else is here. You cool here?"

"Perfectly."

After grabbing a beer from the cooler, Mickie slipped through the crowd of people, her eyes searching for another familiar face. She didn't feel particularly safe on her own; having been there for a total of five days, she didn't know what to expect from the strangers to her.

It took less than a minute to find someone she 'knew'.

Sitting comfortably in the corner of—what she assumed to be—the living room with a book in his hands and an iPod resting on his stomach was Phil Brooks. He was listening to his own music through white ear buds.

Frowning in interest, the brunette made sure to keep her distance but to also keep her eyes on him. He was far too intriguing to leave alone.

* * *

Eve had broken the rule.

Even with Ashley's strict words running through her mind, all she'd been thinking was _screw this; he's a cute guy_. The "jackass" had been smooth with his words and even smoother when he returned to her with a drink in hand. She accepted—of course—and was now happily sipping on her alcoholic beverage.

Maria was by her side, and giggling as Randy told a joke to her. It wasn't particularly funny but this was Maria, and she would laugh at anything her crush said even if it wasn't meant to be laughed at. Plus, she was a bit ditzy; that always counted for something.

"So Randy," Eve interrupted one joke, turning to the guy, "where's Mike? He sent me a text that he was going to be here but I haven't seen him yet."

"He's actually feeling ill. He only made it to a couple of classes today." He informed her. "He is really pissed that he can't be here tonight though."

"Oh...well he seemed really eager to be here when I texted him an hour ago."

"That's because he wants to please you," the dark-haired guy laughed and added, "He likes you in case you didn't know."

The brunette felt a blush catch her cheeks, but quickly scolded herself and allowed him and Maria to get back to their conversation. Though it was her natural reaction to become shy at a guy's obvious attention, she was still unhappy with herself for forgetting about her boyfriend. Even if only for a split second.

So when the guy who'd got her drink appeared again, she suddenly felt all the more guilty.

_Don't I ever think before I do these things?_

"Hey, you wanna dance?" He smirked, flicking his blonde locks out of his face.

"Sure." She smiled unsurely.

Not one to turn down such an offer, the Latina followed him to the dancing section of the room, only to curse when a fast-paced and, quite frankly, booty-shaking song shot through the speakers suddenly. It was just her luck.

It seemed inevitable that the two got down and dirty, but things got a little too heavy when his hands roamed up and down her body with pleasure. She was suddenly all too aware of how personal this was getting...uncomfortable even.

"You can stop that." She ordered, but her voice wasn't as strict coming out of her mouth as it was in her head. "Seriously."

He either didn't hear her or ignored the warning; she was willing to bet that it was the latter of the two options. With people dancing around them it was hard to signal to Maria for help in the situation, and she uncomfortably begun peeling his fingers off her body.

_Damn. Why did I have to wear the skimpy dress tonight?_

"I'm really not—"

"Relax, baby." He interrupted with his now famous smirk. "It's cool."

No, it was far from cool.

Eve felt her heart beat increase as he moved in closer, but not in the good way. She was freaked out and unsure of what to do. She knew that guys liked to be friendly with her but none had crossed the line in such a way.

"_Please_...I really _don't _want..."

The guy was ignoring her. Again.

This wasn't going to end anytime soon, she knew, but she was too afraid to do anything. All she was doing now was cursing _herself _for dressing like a "slut"; blaming this mess onto herself, so much so that tears pricked at her eyes, threatening to spill.

Out of nowhere, a right hand slammed into the guy's cheek, sending him stumbling backwards. The move was impressive considering his own strength, and clearly the action was intended for him.

Too stunned to cry, she turned to her saviour, her heart pumping harder. If she thought she was surprised before, now she was simply gobsmacked. "_Ashley?!"_

But the dirty-blonde was too busy glaring at the guy to take notice. Instead she spat, "Touch her again and you'll be getting more than my fist in your face! Fucking asshole."

Ashley grabbed Eve's hand at once, leading her out of the dancing crowd, who unsurprisingly enough hadn't seen the move and were still shaking their butts to some overly popular song. The two ended up by the drinks table where the blonde folded her arms across her chest stubbornly. Clearly she was waiting for an explanation.

She wasn't going to get one.

"Do you know what this means?" Apparently the brunette was excited now; at least she was judging by the smile on her face.

"That you're stupid and you can't spot trouble from a mile off? I mean, really, Eve; _what_ were you thinking?!"

"It means you care!" Eve squealed in delight, bouncing forwards and nearly hugging the life out of the girl. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"

She stiffened in the hold. "You're bugging me now."

"But you care."

"I don't care."

"But you do."

"But I don't."

"But you do."

"But I—" Mid-flow, Ashley scowled. "Forget it. Come on, we're going now—I don't want to have to save your pathetic ass again."

"Aww you're trying to be mean and cold-hearted again, but it's not working on me. I know you care now." She beamed.

"NO!" The punk-rocker suddenly yelled, turning on her heel to face her again. A deep frown was on her face as she scolded, "I really _am_ pissed off at you. Don't you ever see what you're doing to yourself? One of these days you're going to walk right into trouble, but no-one is going to be there to save you. You _have_ to be wise when it comes to these situations...but once again, you let us down." Eventually, she softened. "We can't keep saving you."

Eve's grin slid right off her face as she watched her 'friend' leave her. Though her mood changes had been frequent, she was now certain the horrible feeling inside was here to stay.

* * *

Maria was full-on beaming when she reached Mickie. This was no surprise as she was constantly in a happy mood no matter what, but _this_ was something different. Even through Mickie's thorough exam of a particular guy, she was caught off-guard by her friend's mood.

"His girlfriend is really nice," was the redhead's form of greeting as she perched onto the seat next to her friend. "She told me she's trying out for a sorority next year—I think she'll do really well, you know; she's gorgeous! Like...super model gorgeous!"

"Only you could be so content with a girlfriend of a crush," said Mickie, shaking her head but keeping her focus on Phil. "What's up with that?"

"Well...I don't know." She suddenly pouted. "Michelle seems really nice. I mean, I've only had a two minute conversation with her but I can tell she is. Why dislike someone if there's no reason to right?"

"I suppose you have a point there."

"I know I do. In fact, I agreed to meet up with her soon. She said she would like that; see, how nice is she?"

"Adorable..."

Maria cleared her throat a moment later. "Mickie, who are you staring at?"

The brunette couldn't help but to grin as she finally turned back to her friend. "_That's_ the guy who I was telling you about before. He's in one of my classes and he's really mysterious; a _cool_ mysterious. I think he's cute and...and..._now_ I feel like I'm back in high school." She concluded, rolling her eyes.

"That's not a bad thing Micks! Some things don't have to change."

"I guess you're right. So what do you think of him?"

"He's...something." Those two words said, Mickie turned to her with a raised eyebrow. She giggled in response and then shrugged. "I'm sorry. I'm too busy thinking about Randy...he's so cute, you know."

"Oh really? You hadn't mentioned that."

"Okay funny girl, I'm going to head back and see him now...and Michelle, of course! I can't forget about her."

"I bet you want to."

Maria playfully hit her on the shoulder. "Stop being silly! No, I don't. I'll see you later." But after remembering something, she was back for a few seconds. "Oh and Ashley sent me a text. She's gone back to the room. I don't know about Eve, but I'll check on her."

Mickie frowned. "Why's that? I mean, why is Ash heading off?"

"She didn't say—you know what she's like though. She hates places like these; I think she only came tonight because we forced her to."

"Yeah, you're right. It's probably that."

After being left alone, the brunette turned to focus on the exact same spot...only to find the seat he'd been using now vacant. She felt a sense of disappointment, and frowned as she swivelled around to grab her beer again.

Where had he gone?

Then it occurred to her how time-consuming this guy was. She'd never been so involved with someone of the opposite sex before—not even her brother through their weekly music challenges—and so, realizing the small fact now, it surprised her.

_Get a hold of yourself, Mickie. He's JUST a guy!_

Fairly content with her warning, she looked around again, searching for either Christian or Chris to brighten her already cheery mood. They were fun guys to hang around with; that was for sure.

"Hey, you're the girl who likes my tattoos right?"

On natural instinct, she stiffened.

He, on the other hand, continued. "Are you ignoring me or something?"

Mickie forced herself to turn to the voice, and found herself swallowing lightly when she saw him standing there. That amused smirk was on his face once again. Out of nowhere, a high-pitched giggle slipped out of her mouth. "Yes! Yes...that's me."

_Good one, Mickie. Why don't you ever listen to yourself? Way to act like a tool._

"Cool. Well I thought I'd come over and introduce myself. I'm Phil." He stuck his hand out, but she looked at it as though it were toxic. He winked as he said, "I don't bite."

_That's a shame_, she thought with an extra edge to her.

She, however, merely blushed. "Well it's nice to meet you. I'm Mickie."

As her hand slid into his, she couldn't help but think how great it felt to be so close to Phil. The way he was looking at her—and she, too, to him she imagined—was intimate for their first official meeting. It just felt...right.

And with all her attention on him, it meant she missed the look of jealousy shot towards the pair from a guy on the other side of the room.

* * *

So there's the next chapter. Please review :)

Also: I'm thinking of doing the chapters like _Ashley, Eve, Maria, Mickie & the girls_ and then rotate in that order. Would you prefer that or for the rest of the chapters to include all of them now?


	6. Masked Emotions: Ashley

The Great Escape

**AN: **Thank you to **, Ashleymassarophan1, Melissa Cristina, WWEFan1990, Christal-R, Thee Britty, TJ Sparkles, Cena-Wilson-Crazy, jojocheer28, rory21, RKO.I.F **_and_ **JeffxMaria** for reviewing the last chapter.

You guys ROCK! :)

Chapter Six – Masked Emotions

* * *

**ASHLEY**

* * *

With only afternoon classes to attend that Monday, Ashley was free to spend her morning however she pleased. As the sun shone brightly outside it seemed like a wise idea to have a little time alone and walk around for a while.

Her iPod was safely tucked into the pocket of her jeans, providing her with a music escape if she were to need one. She could always count on that for support to block out anything; Eve's rambling sessions, Mickie's over-caring nature...unanswered emails from her parents. Music was simply the best way to go to forget about the world.

It was her phone, however, that sent her crashing back into reality.

She was barely out of the girls dorm before the device vibrated in her hand, sending her into momentary shock as she tried to work out what the sensation was. After realizing, she checked the caller ID and a moment later, she was actually happy to get into contact with the person calling her.

"Ronny." She answered cheerfully enough. "What's up?"

"_I think I should be asking you that, college student,"_ a friendly male voice replied. Even though she couldn't see him, she was certain he had a grin on his face. _"So what's going on sis?"_

"Not much really. The classes here are cool...and I guess everything is the same, but a little more sophisticated."

"_Well it's clearly not the same if you're not at home with us."_

"Yeah, that's the different part." She laughed, perhaps a little nervously. "But I'm coping."

"_I'm glad." _Ronny said. _"Well I have to go now; recording to do and all that, but it's good to know you're fine..._" A beat later, he sighed. _"Oh and Ash? Mom and Dad really want to hear from you so call them sometime, okay?"_

She felt incredibly fake as she answered "Sure will" and hung up.

Whatever was left of her smile disappeared in the next moment, replaced with a grimace as she slid the phone into her free pocket. It was just a shame that on such a brilliant day she had to be reminded of a persistent problem.

"We must stop meeting like this."

And speaking of persistent problems...

Ashley turned slowly, praying with all she had that the familiar voice wasn't calling out to her. Her shoulders dropped in defeat a second later; it seemed luck just wasn't on her side today. "Oh, God..."

"Well most people call me Adam, but I've gotta admit I like the nickname."

She shot a long look of disbelief in his direction, and then rolled her eyes. "Why are you so annoying?"

"Why aren't you falling into my arms now?" He shrugged, the beginning of a smirk on his face. "The mysteries of life..."

"Wow...amazing."

"Thank you."

"I meant that as an insult, not a compliment." She informed him. After little consideration she added, "You just never give up, do you?"

"Babe, give up is not in my vocabulary."

Ashley saw red. Not one to disagree with her mild violent series, she took too much pleasure in reaching out her hand to harshly grab the area between his thighs. Her grip on him tightened after a moment, as did her glare.

A strangled shriek escaped Adam's mouth as he was forced to bounce on both feet, as if standing on hot coal. He was a little breathless as he offered, "You're a bit eager, huh?"

"Let me give you a free lesson now. A babe is a pig and personally I don't care to be called one." She finally let him go. "You got that, mutt?"

He swallowed, just about able to nod in response. It took a little while to recompose himself and by that time, she was smirking at him. "Well I'm glad we got that sorted out."

"Yeah." His eyes narrowed but not—like she thought—out of anger.

Without another word, she walked away from him, rolling her eyes as she did so. So much for having a morning to herself—now all that was in her mind was _him_.

Though she had quite a good understanding of guys her age, she didn't get him at all. She was once told—by a proud Mickie James no less—that if a guy liked you, he would annoy and tease you because of it. _But_ that was something to do when they were children; when it wasn't pathetic and stupid like it was now.

Adam Copeland, however, seemed to have a real interest in her, and she didn't know why. It was fair enough to assume they would have the same taste in music or styles, but that was a given by their appearances. _This _was different; he seemed to seek something in her, not anything about her. Just her.

And really, what was so interesting about her? She simply couldn't work the answer out. In fact, she never really understood why guys from her old school were ever attracted to her...

"Hey, Ashley..."

The dirty-blonde stopped just short of a bench, finding herself frustrated at the calling of her name. _Remember to kill Maria when I see her next..._

"Come back for round two?" She asked sarcastically, turning to face him. With the wind creating quite the breeze, she was forced to brush loose strands of her hair from her face to meet his gaze.

"You dropped this." He informed her, holding out a tatty piece of paper.

She didn't recognize it. "What is it?"

"Hell if I know..."

He held it out once again and she took it, slightly cautious. Black-chipped fingernails picked it apart to reveal a very familiar note: _**Don't cause any more trouble, Ash. Haha. We love you.**_ She found herself swallowing lightly as she looked back at him; it was an old note from her friends back home.

"Well...thanks."

"Sure." Perhaps a little cautiously, Adam nodded. Before she could notice his mood change, his smirk returned. "See you around, Ashley Massaro."

He jogged away, leaving her eyes to widen. She shouted after him, "You know my last name too?!" but he didn't respond.

Shaking her head in disbelief, she slipped the note back into her pocket and took a seat on the vacant bench.

There was something about Adam that was different; she just didn't know what. Nor did she intend to find out.

* * *

"I'd have to say _Champagne for my Real Friends, Pain for my Sham Friends. _A classic title song."

"I'll agree, but only because it's _Fall Out Boy_ and they're one of my faves." Ashley nodded in agreement as she walked in-between two guys, heading from her class to her dorm. "But I gotta add that _Panic at the Disco_ has some pretty weird song titles too."

"Oh yeah, definitely."

The dirty-blonde girl grinned as she glanced in-between them. She hadn't expected to make friends so easily—being known to be the 'cold-hearted' one; mainly by Eve—and yet here she was with two people who had the same awesome music taste as her.

She actually knew them from her old school, but had never, for some unknown reason, made the effort to talk to them. She'd vaguely recognized them when she entered the classroom last week but, again, hadn't made an inclination of a greeting. It was them who came to her; for this, she was grateful.

Brian Kendrick and Paul London were the best of friends, often known as 'Londrick'—a combination of their last names—for being so close.

Not only did their tight friendship surprise her, but their kind personalities did so too. It was a rare moment when she found a guy who _wasn't_ a jackass to her, and now she'd found two. She had a great feeling about this friendship, but didn't know why.

"So how about favourite bands?"

"_The Used_," answered Ashley in incredible timing as she turned to the blonde of the two. At his knowing grin, she shrugged nonchalantly. "Well you know...I'm a big fan."

"Sure." Paul chuckled from beside her. "I think we're going to have to steal your iPod one day and check out what you've got on there."

"Oh no, the iPod always stays with me I'm afraid," she smiled briefly at the two, "it'll never leave my sight."

"Protective?"

"You could say that...but okay, back to bands. I also love—and I mean _love_—_Avenged Sevenfold, Puddle of Mudd, Rev Theory..._and I guess you can't go wrong with a little _Linkin Park_." They nodded in appreciation, and she almost beamed with the response. "Although, of course, my best friend has awesome taste in music too. Different, but still awesome."

"Oh right," nodded the dark-haired one. "You hang out with Maria and Eve too, right? I've seen the four of you around school."

"Yeah, that's them—though _actually_, Eve isn't exactly a close friend of mine..." She trailed off, adding a moment later, "a friend through association really."

"Oh." Brian commented. "Well all that matters is that _you_ have good ears. Your music taste amazes me."

"Well so does yours. You know, I think we should stick together."

Paul laughed. "Yeah, we should."

As they'd made it to the girls dorm, she bid goodbye to them and slipped inside the doors. She was thrilled with herself as she tracked down her door number, and it showed by the big grin on her face.

She'd never thought it possible to make friends so easily, but apparently she was wrong.

But everything returned to the norm when she entered her room, only to find her three friends running around in what looked like the middle of complete chaos. Her own bed was hardly recognizable with clothes and make-up boxes scattered across it; Mickie's was the symmetrical picture.

It was Eve who came to her attention first. The brunette looked frantic from her kneeled position on the floor, and she asked Maria, "Have you seen my mascara?"

Ashley, at a complete loss of what was going on, had to offer, "You probably left it in your room next to your _How to be a Slut for Dummies _book."

Now all three _definitely_ noticed her standing at the door.

The Latina merely scowled in her direction. "When you see your therapist, do you tell her how bitter you are for no good reason?"

"Sure I do—oh and I also tell her that no matter how many times I tell someone how annoying she is, she never seems to get the point..."

"Funny that. I was just talking to Maria about you too."

Mickie made an over-the-top sigh to gather their attention. "Now girls, we're _not_ going to get into an argument now. We're all going to get ready for dinner tonight, okay?"

But for being so strict, the petite brunette wasn't being taken seriously. Perhaps it was because of the yellow tank top dangling from one of her bunched ponytails...either way, all three were laughing now.

She looked simply heartbroken and whined, "What?"

"Nothing, Micks." The dirty-blonde shook her head and moved onto her next query. "But why are you making this much mess? We're only going out to dinner."

"Not anymore." Maria beamed as she jumped off the bed, a variety of tops jumbled in her hands. "We _were_ going out to dinner, but now we're going out to dinner with the guys."

"The guys including?"

"Randy..."

"And Mike and Phil." Eve added when her best friend trailed off with a dreamy look on her face. "So you can understand her excitement."

"Well you look pretty happy too," laughed Mickie. "Your face lit up when you heard Mike was going."

"Well I just feel bad because he was ill and I didn't see him at the party," said the brunette a little defensively. "Besides _you_ don't have reason to talk. You're practically obsessed with the tattoo guy."

"He has a name, you know."

"Ooh!" Eve and Maria chorused in high-pitched voices, teasing their friend.

Even Ashley couldn't help but to laugh as her best friend's face turned red. Ambling over the pile of clothing on the floor, she plopped herself down on what was left of her bed, simply watching as the three girls got changed.

"What are you just sitting around for?" Mickie asked with wide eyes as she bounced onto the bed enigmatically, nearly tumbling off with the effort. "Come on; we're leaving in half an hour."

"Oh, I'm not coming."

Maria pouted as she turned to her. Her red hair in the middle of being curled, she couldn't exactly bounce around too, but she did make her point. "But you have to! Is it because the guys are coming too? We could invite Adam too if you'd like."

"NO!" exclaimed the dirty-blonde and sat upright from her once relaxed position. "No, no, no, no..."

In the middle of her repetitive refusal, Eve managed to smirk and say, "I'd actually like to see those two at dinner."

"No way. Sorry, Maria; I'm just not in the mood to come along. Besides, I've got work to do."

"All you do is work."

"Because it has to be done," argued Ashley, crossing her arms over her chest. "Seriously girls, you go on without me. I'll be fine on my own."

After twisting her lips in thought, Mickie eventually relented. "Fine, but it won't be the same without you, Ash."

"I'm sure the night will still be great," smirked the Latina, who was now applying make-up with her compact mirror. She ignored the scowl she got and said, "So how was everyone's day?"

As Maria and Mickie chipped in with their little stories—the redhead's including Randy, of course, and Mickie's with funny anecdotes from Chris and Christian—Ashley sat back, closing her eyes as a sudden exhaustion swept over her.

She couldn't help but to ponder over her sudden tired state; it was odd, as she didn't think she'd had that much of a stressful day. Maybe it was just the adjustment it took in regards to starting at a new college.

Yes, she was sure that was the reason.

Fifteen minutes flew by rather quickly for her and before she knew it, the trio were heading to the door, apparently unable to wait any longer to get going. She felt a little guilt as two offered pouts, but she waved them off all the same.

Now alone, Ashley tiredly rose to her feet, trudging over to the laptop on her desk. Once logged on, she automatically clicked onto her emails...but stopped herself a moment later. Her finger hovered over the _new emails_ button for some reason, hesitant to click and open up the page.

_11 unread emails. __**Open?**_

The bold font seemed to taunt her, she realized, and she turned her laptop off at once. Swallowing lightly, she found her bed again and relaxed into it. Though tired, her eyes remained open as she stared blankly at her dresser.

_11 unread emails..._

They were probably from home...maybe a few from friends too. But she simply didn't want to know, didn't want to be reminded of past times. _This_ was the new chapter of her life that was she in now, and that was that.

Before she could allow herself to even begin to think back to a couple of weeks ago, Ashley closed her eyes, willing herself to think about something else. And, eventually, she thought about _someone_ else.

Adam Copeland's smirk crossed her mind.

With as much effort as she could muster, she flew up into a sitting position, eyes wide as if she'd just suffered a nightmare.

_Oh please don't tell me I'm thinking about him. That's just...wrong._

After scolding herself for a good minute or so, Ashley flopped back down into her bed with a loud groan. Coursework, Adam, her friends, her new friends, the drama that was her life...she just didn't want to think about it right now.

It seemed sleep was everything to her, as it helped to take her mind off her troubles.

But she was far from peaceful when she finally drifted off into a light doze...

* * *

So there's the next chapter. Please review :)

Coming up next is **Eve's **chapter.


	7. The Plot Thickens: Eve

The Great Escape

**AN:** Thank you to **FrequentlyDazzled619, Thee Britty, xSomeKindaRush, , WWEFan1990, Cena-Wilson-Crazy, Melissa Cristina, Ashleymassarophan1, jojocheer28, Christal-R, CrazyWWEFreakJNH, My Unbeautiful Pokerface.x3, Chain Gang Princess, TJ Sparkles, RKO.I.F,** **Deeelyndz **_and_ **rory21 **for reviewing the last chapter.

You guys are amazing! :D

Chapter Seven – The Plot Thickens

* * *

**EVE**

* * *

Maria was clutching onto Eve's arm so hard that she thought it might just break off with the effort.

The two, along with Mickie, had just entered the restaurant they were to eat and were about to hang up their coats. She was excited, she decided, as she peeled the redhead off of her and looked around the dimly-lit place. The restaurant had an intimate feel to it, she noticed. White candles were lit in the row of tables she could see, setting the perfect ambience of the evening. Soft jazz music played overhead to add to the mood.

When they were eventually led to their table, the brunette was made a little more aware of her concerns for the evening. It was as she spotted Mike and a smile lit up her face that she realized she was on dangerous grounds tonight.

There was something about "Miz"—something she just couldn't place—that had her intrigued. To anyone else he probably seemed like the normal guy, but he seemed different to her.

When he met her gaze a moment later, he stood to his feat, nudging the other two to alert them of the new presence. Beforehand they were simply lazing around with bored looks on their faces.

"Hi Randy!" beamed Maria, finally straying from her best friend and walking up to him. "Where's Michelle? Isn't she coming tonight?"

"She wasn't really feeling up to it tonight." He replied with a light sigh, and then smiled. "This'll still be fun though."

Eve was certain the redhead was tempted to bounce on the spot, and she let out a sigh of relief when instead she took her seat.

"Hey." Mike greeted her softly.

Her attention focused on Punk and Mickie then—with the brunette seemingly shy around him—she was surprised to find him addressing her. She shouldn't have been, but she was. It was odd, but her heart raced as she saw him standing opposite her.

_Wow, I have to stop freaking out whenever I'm surprised._

If only that was the actual reason her heart was beating faster now.

"Hi." She replied in a shy uncharacteristic way. Brushing a curl away from her face, she allowed herself to relax. "Have you been waiting long?"

"Not really, but with these guys complaining, it seemed like forever."

She laughed as they took their seats opposite one another. "What were they complaining about?"

"When you girls would get here—typically."

Once again, she found herself giggling.

The brunette broke away from his gaze for just a moment, her eyes flickering to the sight on the right of her. It seemed so formal that the girls sat in a row, as did the guys as they all sat opposite each other. Strangely so, in fact. The thought brought a frown to her face...but not for long, as she caught sight of her friend.

Mickie was practically hiding behind her menu to hide her blush, and Phil was smirking in amusement.

Maria and Randy, on the other hand, were engaged in what must have been a fascinating conversation—the redhead was enigmatic with her hand motions and gestures. Still, that was just Maria Kanellis.

Remembering their little conversation, she grinned at Mike. "So you weren't complaining then? Does that mean you're _not_ pleased to see me?"

"I wouldn't say that exactly," grinned the guy back, shrugging his shoulders.

_How sweet..._

After a few seconds, Eve straightened out, leaning against the back of the chair in a new position as opposed to the old; completely comfortable leaning towards him.

_This_ wasn't good.

She knew she had a flirty side; even if she didn't, her friends would always be there to remind her—especially Ashley, who liked to _make sure_ she knew how bad of a thing that was. But still, sitting here, it felt so natural to talk like this with Mike. She didn't have to fake a giggle, she didn't have to pretend.

It was just...fitting.

And that made her feel even worse on the inside.

Luckily, she was elbowed under the table by Mickie, and turned to escape his curious gaze. "What?"

"I have no idea what I'm doing," hissed the brunette. If Mickie thought she was talking quietly then she was sorely mistaken. Phil had an even wider smirk on his face now as he respectfully looked at his own menu. "I've just realized I only know what I'm doing when I'm in a classroom. I'm freakin' smart!"

Eve couldn't help a giggle. "We know you're smart, Micks. You're _freakin'_ smart, okay?"

"Yes, but now I'm just freaking _out_. You're a boy expert, Eve; what should I do?"

She didn't know whether to take that as a compliment or not, and answered, "Just be yourself. Any guy would be lucky to have you."

"Being myself does not work for me right now!"

"That...doesn't make any sense."

"It—"

But the panicked brunette was interrupted by Phil, who politely asked her if she knew what she was ordering yet. It was an honest surprise when she was able to respond in a full sentence, and then get into a proper conversation with him.

"So," Eve let out a breath, turning back to Mike, "how—"

Another distraction was in order.

Her cell phone rang in her bag and, blushing, she quickly reached for it. After checking the caller ID, she frowned, but answered nonetheless. "Jeff?"

"_Hey. Am I disturbing you?"_

She was about to answer and say she was in the middle of a dinner date with her friends, but she, for some reason, couldn't bring herself to do it. She swallowed down that answer as his brother came to mind.

"Oh...well, not really. I'm doing a bit of this and that." She answered vaguely. "What's up?"

There was a long sigh at the other end of the line. _"I can't believe I'm saying this...but did you bring your manicure set thingy with you from home?"_

"Jeff!" She laughed out loud, covering her mouth when the rest of the party turned to her with mildly surprised looks. "Why on earth are you asking?"

"Ooh!" Maria interjected, waving an arm wildly to get her friend's attention. "Tell Jeff I said hi, would ya?"

"Maria says hi," said the Latina obediently and held up a finger, signalling for her to have one minute's peace. She stood to her feet and found a much quieter section away from the table. "So why are you asking?"

"_It's not for me; it's for Candice. She would ask you herself, but she's got some sort of face mask on so she can't really speak. You know the hardening thing..."_

"I know what a face mask is, Jeff. Yeah sure, I do. Tell her to come to the room tomorrow and she can pick it up then."

"_Will do_." There was a silent moment before he added, _"Oh, did Matt tell you? He's arranging a couple of days off work so he can come up and see you sometime. Isn't that great?"_

"Perfect."

But if it felt so perfect, why was there an odd sinking feeling in her stomach?

Their conversation lasted a few minutes more before Eve apologized and said she really had to get on with _studying_. She felt like a terrible liar as she worked her way back to the table, once again leaning back in her seat.

"What did I miss?"

"Not much." Mike answered, and then furrowed his eyebrows. "Are you okay? You seem a little...upset."

"I do?" She questioned.

"Yeah, you do. Do you want to do this another time or something?"

_No_ was on the tip of her tongue; it really was. She liked Mike, and she liked hanging out with his friends too, even if they hadn't done much of it. Since she hadn't seen him at the party, she'd been more than happy to go to dinner with him tonight.

But now...there was something bothering her...

He chuckled. "It's perfectly fine, Eve. We can do this some other time...that's if you want to, of course."

Mike was looking straight at her now, and she felt herself soften. "I'm really sorry about this. It's just...something has come up." A beat later, she added, "I'd love to do this another time though! I' really sorry."

"No problem."

After a quick goodbye to everyone at the table—including Maria and Mickie, who'd not given up on her for a while, claiming they wanted a reason—the brunette left the table.

A gust of wind hit her as she exited the restaurant, and she hid under her white coat automatically to protect herself. It wasn't until the weather cooled a little that she allowed herself to re-emerge, but she found herself unwilling to do so.

In fact, she just wanted to stay hidden.

_What is wrong with me?_

It wasn't like her to feel so depressed about something she knew little about; the sulky side of things was a feeling she was not accustomed to, she had to be honest. _Now_ she simply felt horrid as she walked alone.

Eve reached the dorm a moment later, and sighed as she reached out to open one of the heavy doors. Inside she could hear laughter coming from a few of the rooms—clearly from gossiping girls—and, if not in _this_ mood, she probably would have smiled at the happy surroundings.

But now she couldn't even bring a smile to her face.

Contemplating whether to have an early night or not, she looked back, only to find herself caught on a particular image a moment later. Her eyes squinted as she made out a figure not too far away on a bench; a girl with dirty-blonde hair and a silver lip ring that shimmered against the dark of the night...

"Ashley?" Confused, she walked over to where she was sitting, and looked down at her. "Ash...?"

"What?" The dirty-blonde scowled eventually.

"What are you doing out here in your pyjamas?" She asked the obvious question, settling down beside her.

"Why would I tell you?"

"Oh great; so you've still got the bad mood going on."

"Only with you, Eve, only with you..." Ashley rolled her eyes. "But if you must know," she spat a second later, "I wanted some time to myself. I couldn't fall asleep."

The brunette sighed lightly as she leaned back. "Reminiscing, huh?"

"No." She answered quickly. "Of course not. I'm thinking about my classes tomorrow. I'm trying to work out if...forget it, never mind."

"That's your answer to everything, isn't it? _Forget it_; like it's a good thing to do that." The words were out of her mouth before she could stop them.

Instinctively, she knew she shouldn't have even _dared_ to approach the subject, but she was already far too unlike herself that evening to stop.

"What's your problem?"

"My problem? What's _yours_?" She countered, frowning. "I mean, I know you hate my guts—you made that pretty evident the other night when you screamed at me." Ashley sneered, but she still continued. "But, come on, you're telling me you don't have your flaws too?"

"You don't know what you're talking about."

"You and I both know that's not true." Eve stood to her feet again. Surprisingly, the blonde held her gaze when she looked down. "You keep telling me that you can't keep saving me; that's fine...but don't be a hypocrite. _We_ can't keep looking after _you_."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Ashley stood then so they were face-to-face.

"Oh, God...how do you _not_ know? You're blocking everything from back home out!" The blonde stiffened, and Eve rolled her eyes. "What, you didn't think we noticed? You think you're so strong and that I'm weak. _Weak_...and why? Because, in your own words, I don't know how to say no to guys. Well you know what? _You're _not all that strong, Ash—"

"Hey—"

"No! I'm sick and tired of taking shit from you, Ashley!" She yelled. _Finally._ "Do you know how many years it's been that I've had to sit back and listen to you bitch about me?"

"You give as good as you get."

"Yeah, sometimes...look, whatever," she scoffed, "all I know is that I'm accepting the change in my life. You're just moving from point to point as if it's what you're _meant_ to do. It is okay to cry, you know..."

"I'm not weak! Okay?" Ashley shot back, outraged. "Who the hell are you to tell me what I should or shouldn't do? I'm handling this in my own way."

"But that's the thing; you're not! You never do deal with things. You don't accept _anything_. You think crying is a sign of weakness...but it's not. It shows you have feelings...that you care. All you're doing is hiding, and if anything is a sign of weakness, _that's_ it. There's nothing wrong with being upset once in a while." She paused for a moment, breathing heavily. She knew she was being harsh, but for some reason she couldn't stop herself. All she'd wished to say was finally escaping from her lips. "And, God, Ash, you walk around like you're the most confident girl in the world. But you're not. You're just as scared as everybody else...I know you are."

There was a long silence.

And then...

"Fuck you, Eve."

"Classic example." The Latina spat, and turned on her heel.

She was sick. She was tired. She was sick and tired.

Of everything. Of everyone.

When she made it back to her room, she made sure to slam the door extra hard, and then sunk down onto her bed. Of all the scenarios, she hadn't imagined the night would end like this.

She sniffed sadly. "This is too fucked up for words."

It was.

And before she knew it, tears were forming in her eyes. This was to be the first time she cried since she'd arrived at the college; it sucked to know that they weren't tears of joy, but rather of utter disappointment.

She had no idea what she was supposed to do now.

Matt Hardy was the love of her life. She constantly smiled at the thought of all the times they'd spent together prior to her leaving...and now here she was, confused and alone. She never thought she could see him as anyone other than her loving boyfriend; now she could only see him as the guilty secret as she chased after someone else.

And that was _not _her.

Whatever she had going on with Mike wasn't healthy for someone already in a relationship. She loved Matt; she was _in love_ with him...and yet, for some reason, she couldn't stop herself from committing a sin. She was completely certain that she should be punished for being flirty with the guy...

What would Matt say if he ever found out?

She didn't even want to think about it. The image pouring into her mind of his upset face was more than enough to make her feel worse.

Eve reached for a tissue from her bag, and dabbed at her eyes, even laughing to herself as her mother's wise words came into her mind. _Never cry before going to bed, sweetie. You'll wake up looking horrible in the morning, and that'll make you want to cry some more._

She sniffed again. She certainly did miss home and its simplicities.

It was a minute or two later, when she'd dabbed enough to take away at least the lightest of traces of her crying, that an urgent knock came to her door.

If that was Ashley, she didn't know what she would say. She was only just getting reminders of their 'little' argument, and she was wincing at every word she remembered coming out of her mouth.

Almost hesitantly, she reached for the doorknob, and sighed in relief when she saw another friend waiting for her.

The look on Mickie's face, however, shouldn't have comforted her. She placed her hands on her hips. "I came to find out what's up with you," said the brunette, and any sign of a friendly face completely disappeared as she continued sharply, "but do you want to tell me what the hell you did to make my best friend so pissed off first?"

* * *

So there's the next chapter. Please review :)

So we're delving into their problems much deeper now...

I would have had the chapter up much quicker, but I was slightly obsessed with other things. Sorry :P

Oh and also, I meant to tell you guys about two chapters ago, but there's a **trailer** I made for this story available for download on my profile page. If you'd like to do so, the link is there :)

Up next is **Maria's **chapter.


	8. You Don't Know Him: Maria

The Great Escape

**AN:** Thank you to **Crazysexycool432355, Melissa Cristina, Ashleymassarophan1, RKO.I.F, Deeelyndz, CrazyWWEFreakJNH, WWEFan1990, Christal-R, Cena-Wilson-Crazy, xSomeKindaRush, jojocheer28, Chain Gang Princess, TJ Sparkle, JeffxMaria **_and_ **MonkeysUnkle **for reviewing the last chapter.

You guys are awesome! :D

And y'all seem to be divided on the **Ashley/Eve** situation. Interesting...

Chapter Eight – You Don't Know Him

* * *

**MARIA**

* * *

Maria was confused.

It wasn't an unusual thing for her to be less than aware of what was going on around here of course, but she felt like she'd missed something here. Fresh from a dinner date with Randy, she didn't expect to wake up to such an uncomfortable atmosphere the next morning.

All credit for the situation went to Eve, who trudged around the room like she'd just suffered a particularly bad nightmare. Granted she was facing a couple of lectures this morning, but she thought the brunette enjoyed them. Perhaps she was wrong.

"Okay, I can't take it anymore!" She announced to her best friend a moment after slipping off her bed. "What's wrong with you grumpy gills?"

"Been watching _Finding Nemo_ again?"

"Obviously; it's the best."

"It's nothing, Maria, really..." The Latina sighed as she tied back her stubborn curls. "Nothing you'd want to get involved in anyway."

"Oh come on. You can tell me anything!" At the girl's hesitant look, she added, "Please?"

"I just hate upsetting you."

"Tell me what the problem is and I'll find out if it upsets me or not."

In defeat, Eve shrugged. "Okay. I told Ashley that she was hiding from her past."

Maria cringed. "You didn't..."

"The girl needs to be pushed! I know we all promised not to say anything to her but now it's getting to the point where it's hard to watch her like this."

"I know it is but..."

"You don't have to worry, okay? I talked to Mickie last night about what happened and we both agreed that I'll apologize to her." A lengthy sigh was drawn from the brunette's lips. "Then everything will be back to normal."

"Oh. Well okay."

But even the redhead had to admit that things going back to "normal" wasn't all that comforting of a thought.

"Alright. Well I'm out of here. From one lecture to another I suppose. I'll see you at lunch?"

Maria nodded and watched as her roommate gathered her things and left. Once alone, she turned to the mirror, surveying her chosen outfit for the day. As usual the term "rock glam" came to mind and she nodded contently at the colourful display she had on.

She was a little more excited for her classes today, though it was really no surprise as Randy was in a few of them. He'd been showing up a lot more in her life since the first time they met, and now she was pleasantly surprised to find they had a lot in common.

They were definitely growing closer as friends.

In fact it took her a lot of effort to pull herself away from her glazed look in the mirror and realize she had been thinking about him for the past two minutes. A guilty blush tickled her cheeks as she picked up her bag but she managed to compose herself by the time she was out of the girls' dorm.

She needn't have bothered to make the effort as she—literally—bumped into the object of her affections outside their room, changing their potentially perfect meeting moment into a positively embarrassing scene.

Her books flew everywhere and she dropped to the floor to collect them. "I'm so sorry!" She apologized quickly, but didn't look up to meet his gaze. "I should have looked where I was going. Clumsy me, huh?"

"Maria—"

"Seriously, I'm such a klutz!"

She didn't have a chance to ramble on as he grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her back to her feet. Books and scattered papers were easily forgotten about as he smirked in her direction. "Maria, it's okay."

The redhead nodded shyly. This was a rare time, she noted, in which physical contact was made between them and she couldn't help but feel their position was a little intimate.

"So I wanted to talk to you about something actually," he continued as he knelt down to pick up the items, "the thing is—"

"I do." She beamed. Apparently other thoughts were going through her mind at the sight of him in front of her on one bended knee. When he glanced up to her, her smile dropped. "I do...w-w-want to hear what you have to say. Um...what did you want to talk to me about?"

Randy chuckled. "Right. I was talking to Michelle this morning and she wondered if you wanted to hang out with her sometime."

"Hang out?"

"Yeah." He nodded as he gave her books back to her. "Since you and I are getting close now, or at least it seems that way, it seemed like a good idea to her for you guys to spend some time together too. What do you say?"

"Sure." She nodded after a moment. After all, she didn't see the harm in hanging out with the blonde if it meant a new friendship. "Should I, like, contact her or something?"

"Oh no, I'll give her your number. Is that okay?"

"Sure it is. I don't mind."

"Cool." He grinned and then peered over her shoulder. "We should probably go inside now; class is about to start."

She agreed, and as his hand intimately touched the small of her back to guide her in, she was finally able to contain her feelings. Or at least she turned away from him in order to hide her blush.

* * *

Everything had returned back to its normal state.

Maria had found this out from Ashley, who stood beside her now sucking on a red lollipop. An apology had been offered to the dirty-blonde girl this morning and while she hadn't accepted, she didn't seem to care to waste time on a petty argument with Eve.

So yeah, normality was shining through on today of all days.

Starting with a frustrated ramble from her _dear_ friend.

"I swear the dude won't leave me the frick alone! He's so damn annoying; why doesn't he understand what he's like?" There were no guesses as to who the mystery man was in this conversation. "Besides, I already told him I wasn't interested—the first time I met him actually."

"Are you sure you're not?" The redhead teased, stifling a giggle as her friend turned to her with wide eyes.

"How could you say that? The guy is a freakin' tool!"

"I'm just saying...because it seems to me that he's the centre of attention in your little world, Ash."

"Only because he makes it his business to make himself so unforgettable. It's annoying...no, it's more than annoying."

"Or is it just annoying because you secretly have a thing for him?"

"I swear, Maria; you're as cute as a button but you sure know how to piss me off."

"That's my secret weapon." She giggled, pulling an imaginary gun from her pocket and narrowing her eyes. She was now thinking herself to be one of _Charlie's Angels_—at least she was until another thought entered her mind. "Hold on a second. How can you be as cute as a button? Are buttons even cute? I guess some are but still..."

The two pondered over this for a few minutes, creating, for the first time since they'd met together, a comfortable silence. The sun hit them perfectly as they finally reached the girls' dorm, and they were almost regretful to open the doors and step inside.

All thoughts of the popular phrase left Maria's mind when she happened to spot Michelle outside her room. The skinny blonde had a couple of suitcases surrounding her oddly enough, and seemed a little exhausted.

Intrigued, she dragged an unwilling Ashley with her to greet her crush's girlfriend. "Hey Michelle!" She greeted cheerfully enough and pointed to the luggage. "Going somewhere?"

Michelle greeted the pair, and then rolled her eyes. "I'm moving over to the next dorm. I'm not exactly getting along with my assigned roommate."

"Major suckage."

"Yes," said the blonde hesitantly, clearly not taking to Ashley's choice of words. "Major, uh, suckage."

"Oh yeah? So who's your—"

Her obvious question was perfectly answered in the next moment, as a slim blonde opened the door quite forcefully and flung a furry black jacket at her—now former—roommate's head. A thick French accent filled the otherwise quiet hallway. "I don't wear such bad fashion choices." Even after noticing the company, she scoffed. "Jealousy is ugly, Michelle."

"Ladies and gentleman, Maryse Oullet," the blonde rolled her eyes again, "and her trademark saying."

"She sounds...wonderful." Ashley remarked after taking the candy out of her mouth.

"Yeah." Michelle sighed lightly and then turned to Maria. "So did Randy tell you about my suggestion?"

"Oh yes, he did! I'd love to hang out soon."

"Oh good. I honestly wouldn't be surprised if he'd forgotten to tell you. Well you know what he's like..."

"Actually," she shrugged, "I don't."

"Oh...that's right." A smile just touched Michelle's lip. "You don't."

There was a moment of silence. Maria, desperately trying not to judge her, as that was not her nature, couldn't help but to feel a little perturbed by the comment. There was just something about her tone that irked her.

"Anyway, I'll get your number later. See you both around."

After a short goodbye, she was out of the door and out of sight.

"Um..."

"Well she's a bitch," said Ashley, raising an eyebrow as she sucked on her lollipop again.

"Ashley, she isn't!"

"Of course _you_ would say that. You think good of everyone." The dirty-blonde girl rolled her eyes as they resumed their journey to her room. "I'm going to have to teach you a lesson about bitches."

"Being one yourself?"

"Well it does take one to know one, yes. Good girl; you're learning quickly."

Maria merely shook her head and tried not to let her friend's behaviour affect her too. Still...something was unsettling about that particular comment, she knew.

They reached the room in no time, and she was pleasantly surprised to find Mickie sitting on her bed, a pensive look on her face. Perhaps the brunette would be able to help her in the situation; if she didn't talk about what happened, she knew it would bug her for the rest of the day. Mickie James was a good person to go to advice to as well, unlike Eve and Ashley, who merely offered unhelpful opinions such as _"bitch"_ and _"whore"_.

"Hey Micks. Do you think—"

"Hold on!" Apparently, Mickie James was also busy. "Oh, it just passed. Damn it! But hey, how are you girls doing?"

"Fine," said Ashley as she collapsed on her bed and offered her friend a look that clearly meant _you're a very weird girl._ "What are you up to?"

"Yeah, what just passed?"

"Oh, don't worry about that," commented the brunette as she swung her feet to the floor, standing up and then walking over to Maria to give her a friendly hug. She would have done the same with her best friend had she not known how the dirty-blonde was with physical contact. "I was trying to think of a song for this week's music challenge with the older bro."

"What's the category this week?"

"_Most Inspirational._ I want to keep up with the winning streak; I've kicked his ass in the past three weeks so I can't stop now. Ash, do you have any choices from your playlist?"

"Probably, but I'm tired so I'm gonna crash now."

"Thanks so much," said Mickie and rolled her eyes. As Ashley turned away from the two, she added, "Besties for life!" sarcastically.

"I could help you out!" Maria suggested, rather excited all of a sudden. "Most inspirational, huh?"

"No offense, Maria, but you're idea of inspirational is _Maneater_ by _Nelly Furtado_."

A frown creased her features. "Well yes..." After a knowing look, she giggled. "Alright, I'll leave the music-finding to you. I do, however, need your help on something."

"Sure. What is it?"

"Well I'm just confused about something."

"What a big surprise."

"Okay Miss Sarcastic, you can stop now." She pointed a finger in her friend's direction.

"Sorry. Go ahead."

"Okay. Well you know Michelle, Randy's girlfriend?" After waiting for a nod, she added, "Well Ash and I just saw her out in the hall. She's moving into the next dorm by the way; her roommate, Maryse I think her name is, doesn't get along with her...or more like she doesn't get along with her. You know her, right? I think I've seen her around...she has this really thick French accent. You _must_ know her—"

"MARIA!" Both Mickie and Ashley yelled, scaring the life out of her.

"Oh right...sorry. I got a little distracted there."

"You think?" The blonde shook her head before turning away from them again.

"So _anyways_, we stopped and talked to her but, I don't know, she seemed a little...odd."

"Odd...how so?"

"Well Randy told me before class today that she wanted to hang out with me since I'm friends with her boyfriend. That made sense to me so I said that was cool...but then I talked to her and she made some comment about not knowing him...and I don't like to think so, but she seemed kind of proud that she knew him better than I did."

"That's classic jealousy for you."

"Michelle...jealous? Of what?"

"Of what?" Mickie repeated, laughing as she grabbed her iPod from the end of her bed. "Maria, she's jealous of you and Randy spending so much time together! It's typical girlfriend behaviour, of course."

She felt her eyes widen, but it was only half of what she felt inside. How on earth could someone like Michelle McCool—with such supermodel looks and posture—be jealous of _her_? What was there to be jealous of? Surely she knew how beautiful she was, and how lucky Randy was to have her.

"You give yourself little credit, Maria," said the brunette when she saw the look on her face. "Yes, Michelle does have a reason to be jealous."

"No, she really doesn't."

"...But she does."

"Okay...supposing she does," scoffed Maria, imagining for one moment that there was indeed something to be suspicious of, "it doesn't make sense for her to be jealous of me. Surely she'd just feel pity for me?"

"Pity? Why's that?"

"Because he's with her, and he's happy with her. It's not like he's going to suddenly break up with her for me. That's just absurd."

"Maria, listen to me. You really are clueless sometimes. I see the way you and Randy interact; you might not see it, and there's no doubt about that since he's all you pay attention to, but you _do_ seem overly friendly with each other."

She gasped. "I'm a slut!"

At this point, Mickie laughed again. "Oh dear. I don't think you're getting the point—you're not a slut. Far from it actually."

"Okay. Spell it out for me. What's your point?"

"Randy might just like you too, and Michelle knows it."

Already she was heading for the door, shaking her head. "Don't be ridiculous, Mickie. You know that's not possible."

"It is though; it really is." The brunette smirked. A moment later, however, she frowned. "Damn it. I'm going to have to search really hard for an inspirational song." Apparently done with their conversation a mere few seconds ago, her face lit up. "I know, I'll call Chris! He's really good with music!"

"You do that. I'm going to head back to my room now. See you both later."

After receiving grunts from both of them, she travelled to her own room, thinking all the while how her friend's logic of the situation just couldn't be true. Plain and simple, Mickie James was crazy; she'd always thought that and now she was definitely sure.

She was a moment short of opening her door when she noticed, out of the corner of her eye, a familiar flash of rainbow-coloured hair. She turned with a knowing smile, waiting until she was seen before offering a wave. "Hi, Jeff. Sneaking out again?"

"Yeah." He nodded, but a frown was on his face. "There wasn't much point of sneaking in though."

"Oh...is something wrong?"

"Candice is just a bit distant, that's it." Jeff told her as he walked towards her. "I guess it's no big deal..."

"I'm sorry anyway." She touched his arm softly. "I hope things get better for you."

"Me too. I should go; I don't want to get caught."

"Of course. See ya!"

After stepping into her room, she leaned against the door. It seemed like everybody else's problems—Eve's, Ashley's, now Jeff's—were much bigger than hers, and she needn't worry about what someone else had told her. It didn't matter if she suspected that what Mickie was saying was true; the non-existent love triangle was simply not an issue.

Now content, Maria happily collapsed onto her bed.

* * *

So there's the next chapter. Please review :)

Up next is **Mickie's **chapter.


	9. The Love Game: Mickie

The Great Escape

**AN:** Thank you to **Katie, Christal-R, RKO.I.F, WWEFan1990, Cena-Wilson-Crazy, Ashleymassarophan1, xSomeKindaRush, Melissa Cristina, CrazyWWEFreakJNH, jojocheer28, Deeelyndz, TJ Sparkles, PinkyGirl95, JeffxMaria, rory21 **_and_ **Chain Gang Princess** for reviewing the last chapter.

You guys are amazing! :D

Chapter Nine – The Love Game

* * *

**MICKIE**

* * *

Never had Mickie James been so frustrated in all her life.

This very morning surpassed any other hair-tearing, scream-urging moment in the past. In fact, her mood exceeded expectations as she sat alone in the cafeteria, an apple on her right side and an iPod on her left.

In the way of showing her mood her fingernails had been bitten down to impressively short stubs and she hadn't bothered, for once, to tie her hair back. It was still to be decided whether the hair style would work for her; with light brunette curls falling in front of her face every so often, it only added to her annoyance.

It was times like these that she wished she'd never created the stupid weekly music challenge with her brother. After all, it had started so simply with her making a comment—just a measly comment—on a new band around that he liked and he, in return, challenging her to find a better song.

It was her pride and his ego that kept them in the game together for all these years and now they invented new categories for it.

This week's song, however, was supposed to be an easy find. She felt that an inspirational song shouldn't be so hard to find...but it was, and terribly so. All she'd heard recently was popular rap songs and dance anthems about shaking booties—hardly inspiring lyrics.

"Here's the girl of the moment."

In the middle of staring tiredly at the wooden table, Mickie hadn't expected an interruption, and therefore, jumped a mile at the noise. She was greeted with laughter as Christian and Chris sat down opposite her, their trays filled with all kinds of junk food.

"Like I keep telling you," continued Christian, slapping his buddy on the shoulder while unloading his tray, "this girl is going to be legendary."

"Wait. Why am I the girl of the moment?"

"Because your friend, Maria," began Chris, clearly trying to hide the smile on his face, "not only told us your name, but she told us how your date with Phil went."

"What?"

The other blonde smirked. "Yep. So Mickie James, just how are you not hiding in shame after the embarrassment you faced?"

She tried not to grit her teeth as the image of her innocent red-headed friend came to mind. While Maria was an amazing friend, she sometimes had the occasional slip-up as a result of her bubbly nature. Now seemed to be one of those times.

"What reason would I have to be embarrassed?" She asked as nonchalantly as she could, but the laughter that came from them a moment later made her frown. Childishly, she whined, "What?"

"Phil told us what happened already."

Her eyes narrowed. "What did he tell you? Please inform me since, obviously, I'm the only one who doesn't know my own shame."

Chris chuckled. "It's nothing, really. He could just tell how nervous you were...that, and you were practically hissing at Eve for advice on boys."

"Oh...my...God. He heard that?"

"_Maria_ heard that, and she was involved in a conversation with a super hot guy." The other two in the conversation gave him knowing looks and he sighed. "Maria's words, not mine. You know what I mean..."

Mickie giggled. "Lucky for you, Chris, we do." But it was just a moment later that she remembered her troubles and slumped forwards. "Oh, what am I going to do? He's going to think I'm a loser...my brother will too. This is such a nightmare."

"Is your brother particularly interested in your love life?"

"No, of course not. That's something he prefers to stay out of." She commented. "We've just got this music challenge going on and I have to find a _really_ inspirational song before Sunday otherwise I lose. Oh actually, I was hoping for your help on that."

Confused, Chris pointed to himself. "Me?"

"I don't see any other Chris around—yes, you. Do you remember when I went through the songs on your iPod and told you how awesome your taste in music was? Well...I'm going to need your help finding a song now."

"Oh...sure, I guess I can help."

"Cool! So—"

Mickie didn't get to finish her sentence as she was interrupted, not by Christian like she expected, but by another blonde Canadian.

Adam Copeland looked completely at home as he set his tray down on the table loudly and then did the same with his backside to the seat next to the brunette. "Mornin' everyone." He greeted in a voice laced with sleep.

A unison of "hey" was chanted back.

It took the new arrival a moment to realize who he was sitting beside, but when he figured it out, his face lit up. "You're Ashley's friend right?"

"Best friend actually; Mickie James."

"Awesome."

"...Awesome?" She echoed uncertainly.

His smirk, one that was becoming a little more familiar to her now, widened. "Since you ladies are so close, you know all about her right? She's stubborn, she's demanding, she's independent, she's stubborn, she's ridiculously hard to have a conversation with, she's stubborn...did I mention she's stubborn?"

"You might have once or twice...but what's your point?"

"Well clearly as you're friends—good job putting up with her, by the way—you could ask a favour from her...or maybe make her if she doesn't agree."

"And what kind of favour are we talking about here?"

"Getting her to go on a date," he paused to smirk again, "with yours truly."

There was just a few seconds of silence before the three surrounding him burst out into an unkind round of laughter.

It was Mickie who recovered first, though she dabbed at her watering eyes as she turned to face him. "I'm sorry but have you seen the way she acts around you? I don't know how I would get her to go on a date with you."

His face looked like it had been stung by a bee. "Thanks for the support. Surely there has to be something—a secret, maybe—to force her into going out with me."

"That's manipulative," she gasped, "...and I've got the perfect secret!" A beat later, she added, "But why put her through torture? Why should I?"

"Because believe it or not, I like her."

"Wow." Christian remarked. "Mickie, he really _does_ like her."

Mickie didn't want to know how her friend came to that conclusion, but—strangely—believed him. "Well fine. I'll see what I can do."

"You're awesome, Mickie James."

"I know, I know." She rolled her eyes as the guys went on to talk about the latest and greatest sports car.

* * *

The library always had a calming effect on Mickie. Whenever she was stressed out, whether it was about something important or the smallest of things, she could always get lost in the world of books.

A faint smile touched her lips as she browsed the non-fiction section. She wasn't looking for something in particular but if something was to grab her attention, she would waste little time to check it out.

She was in _that_ mood; the one so familiar that Eve, who had accompanied the brunette up the flight of stairs to this place, had given up on trying to usher her away. It was plain and simple: when she had something on her mind, she would spend _hours_ distracted by shiny new books.

So while Eve wished she'd never planned to meet up with her friend, Mickie was content as she slipped into the next aisle.

Her fingers scanned across the various titles, and she stopped every so often, her interest peaked by a few of them. But it wasn't until her hand was about to brush against another that she stopped completely, rather in shock.

"Oh, I'm so..." Her apology was cut short when she cocked her head to the side, twisting her lips in thought. A moment later, she said, "Wait...I know that tattoo. I'm sure I do."

The owner of the _Drug Free_ knuckle tattoos smirked down at her. "I should think so too."

She slowly looked up...and found her 'nightmare' to be true. At the sudden realization of who the stranger was, she sucked in a breath. "Oh right, of course...I...uhm..."

"Still real talkative huh?" Phil chuckled as he leaned against the shelf, a couple of books tucked under his arm. "So what's up?"

"Oh. _Me?_" She squeaked, and he laughed again. "Right...well...uhm..."

_Alright, Mickie. You're a smart and mature woman; Eve said so and it's gotta be true. Impress him. That's all you have to do. You can do it...and oh my God, he's been standing there and staring at me all this time. Say something! Anything!_

"I love your tattoos."

...

_Anything __**but**__ that._

"Alright. Well...thanks." His smile turned into another smirk. When he flicked back his jet black hair, she almost melted. Luckily he distracted her by saying, "So you never really answered my question."

_I wonder if he'd let me touch his hair._

"Mickie?"

_It looks so...touchable. And soft. Definitely soft._

"...Hello?"

A hand waved in front of her, snapping her out of her train of thought. Guiltily she blushed, but was able to say, "Oh right. So...um...what's up with _me?_ Well I'm just..." _Oh God, what am I doing?_ "Oh, I'm just scanning through the books, seeing if there's anything I would be interested in."

"And is there?"

She eyed him up and down. _Oh definitely. _"Nope...not really."

"Okay. Well I'm about to head out now—I'll see you later?"

"Of course."

He offered a smile and turned away, but for some reason, she couldn't bring herself to watch him leave. Not without giving something a little more than an incoherent stutter to him. "Hey Phil..."

He looked back, a light smile on his face. "Yeah?"

"About the other night," she uneasily began, playing with her fingers, "did I seem a little...distant to you?"

"When we went out?" After she nodded, he shrugged. "A little bit." And then a smirk curved his lips. "But I heard what your problem was."

"You did?"

"It was hard not to...I heard you asking Eve for advice."

"Oh...wonderful." She muttered and any trace of a smile disappeared from her face. She straightened out and turned on her heel. "I'll see you around."

Her plan was to get out of there as quickly as she could and somehow avoid Phil for a long while after that—which, of course, wasn't possible but she was willing to try.

Unfortunately for her, she wouldn't find out if the plan would have worked or not, as she felt a hand brush against her arm, pulling her back.

"Hey," he interrupted, smiling, "I know you're shy around me, and there's nothing wrong with that. It's actually really cute."

And then she did something that was not so shy.

"Cute? I'm _just_ cute? Well that's kind of...I don't know if it's a compliment or an insult actually."

"Trust me; it's a compliment."

A wink later, Phil disappeared.

A smile worthy of a love-struck fool graced her features and it wasn't until Eve made her way over that she snapped out of her gaze of the empty aisle.

"He called me cute." Mickie muttered as the brunette led her out by the arm. With a large grin, she repeated, "He called me _cute._"

"That's great," said Eve, fighting a smirk, "but Micks, do you think you'll be able to speak in full sentences the next time you see him?"

"I'm working on it." She grinned, somehow oblivious to the offense intended by her friend. "Aww, wow...he called me cute."

Mumbles of the same sentence—often including the words _cute_ and _no way_—spilled through her mouth all the way back to her dorm room. It wasn't until she collapsed onto her bed that she realized she hadn't finished looking through the section of books...but after her run-in with Punk, she didn't particularly care.

"So Maria's beating herself up about this whole Randy thing. She's insane, I'm telling you. She had some crazy notion that she's making Michelle feel out of place because of how much time she's spending with her boyfriend. I think we're just a day away from the girl calling herself a bunny boiler."

"That's Maria for you," laughed the brunette, "but I wouldn't worry about her...you know why? Because Phil called me _cute!_"

Eve rolled her eyes in response.

"Oh come on. Be happy for me! I know it's hard for you and Matt to be apart but—"

"No, no..." The Latina cut her off, waving a hand about. She looked pretty adamant as she continued, "Matt and I are just fine. I talked to him last night on the phone—he misses me and he's going to find the time to come and see me soon. Isn't that great?"

"Yeah that's great...but if it is, why aren't you bouncing around the place?"

"Oh. I..."

But she was cut off as the door swung open, and Ashley sauntered inside.

Mickie was suspicious of Eve but tried not to focus on her troubles too much, and allowed her gaze to focus in on her best friend. "Hey Ash. How was your day?"

"Oh, oh, oh. How was my day? How was my day?!" The dirty-blonde girl's eyes narrowed considerably, and both were suddenly feeling a little afraid. "I swear, I'm stuck in this one class with a bunch of morons. Like, imagine having to sit in front of a group of girls who have nothing better to talk about than make-up and their boyfriends. It's like I'm still in high school and trust me, I don't want to be reminded of _that_ place! Is there nothing better to talk about than guys? Or make-up even? But especially guys...what's the big deal? We're young and us girls should appreciate what we've got before fussing about stupid men, who, I bet, are just out to fuck things up for us."

Both Mickie and Eve blinked.

"Oh and if that isn't enough..."

"Okay!" A nervous giggle escaped Mickie's lips as she jumped from her seat. "I've got something to tell you...and you might not like it."

"I don't see how today can get any worse personally," scoffed the blonde as she collapsed onto her bed, shoving Eve down to the end. "Bring it on, I say."

"Alright. Well here's the thing. I've set you up on a date." As Ashley slowly rose, she swallowed. Before all her nerve lost her, she added, "and it's with Adam."

"You...WHAT?!"

"And you have to go because he really _does_ like you. He says so, Christian says so..."

"Hell no," the girl protested as she swung her feet to the floor. Just in case she planned to step forward, Mickie grabbed her bag for protection. She had a pretty good swing in her, she was sure. "That is ridiculous. There is _nothing_ that will make me go on a date with that jerk."

"Well actually," said Mickie a little breathlessly as she climbed onto her bed to escape the grasp of her approaching friend, "there is _one_ thing. I mean, I don't want it to come to this...but I'll be sure to tell everyone if you don't go out on a date with him."

"What are you talking about?"

She hopped from bed to bed, ignoring Eve's amused look at her struggle. She was beginning to wonder whether Adam was worth all this trouble. "Okay, yes; I think you do know what secret I'm on about."

A particularly knowing look was shot in her best friend's direction.

Ashley squinted her eyes...and the realization hit her a moment later. Now her eyes widened. "No, no, no!"

"I'll do it, Ash. I'm really sorry, but he _does_ like you. It's just one date anyway."

"_Just_ one?"

"Yeah, that's it."

Eventually the blonde let out a sigh of defeat, crossing her arms over her chest. "Fine—just one date though!"

"Yes!" Mickie bounded towards her for a hug but at the look on her face she thought against it wisely. Instead she toned down her smile. "Thanks, Ash."

"You're a bitch." She scowled.

Now she grinned. "So you've told me a million times before."

"So..." Eve began cautiously. "What's the secret?"

Ashley pointed towards the door. "Get out!"

"Touchy," sang the brunette, but headed that way anyway, "I'll check in with Maria then. See you for dinner later."

As soon as she was gone, Mickie collapsed back onto her bed. A triumphant smile curved her lips, but it had little to do with her victory over Ashley, and forcing her to go on date with the "jerk".

Now she was simply thinking about Phil. She was thinking about his tattoos, his smirk, his wink...she was utterly lost in her thoughts of him.

"Please don't tell me a guy put that smile there," muttered Ashley as she passed by to use her laptop.

"Oh yeah, Ash," she giggled just to spite her, "this was _definitely_ a guy's work."

* * *

So there's the next chapter. Please review :)

Up next is **the girls' **chapter.


	10. See If I Care

The Great Escape

**AN:** Thank you to **Christal-R, RKO.I.F, , WWEFan1990, Melissa Cristina, Cena-Wilson-Crazy, xSomeKindaRush, CrazyWWEFreakJNH, Ashleymassarophan1, Deeelyndz, jojocheer28, ****Chain Gang Princess** _and _**TJ Sparkles** for reviewing the last chapter.

You guys are awesome! :D

Chapter Ten – See If I Care

* * *

**THE GIRLS**

* * *

It was a beautiful day. The sun beamed down, hitting just the right spots, while the busy traffic on the road was drowned out by the swoosh of the trees above. Popular shops surrounded the sidewalk, as did the happy shoppers who slipped inside to find the bargain of their dreams.

It was just a shame that the peaceful experience and the summer weather were being ruined for four particular college students.

"Delicious."

"Overpriced."

"Frothy."

"Overpriced."

"Worth it."

"Still overpriced."

Both Maria and Mickie lagged behind as, in front of them, their friends indulged in another ridiculous argument. They could no longer enjoy the sights and every time they tried to, they were brought back to the shouting match.

Eve flicked back her curls as she tried not to let her anger get the better of her. Up until now she had been excited for today—hanging out with her girls and a few of the guys had never sounded more tempting. It was now, however, that she was starting to regret her decision to invite a particular someone along. As usual, the girl was being a pain in her ass.

"You don't have to come, you know."

"I'm afraid I do," said Ashley and rolled her eyes as, after a glance in her direction, Maria cowered in fear. "Miss Bubbly here wouldn't leave me alone until I agreed. And just look at her; she's too innocent to refuse."

The brunette conceded. "You do have a point. But still," she went on to say, "We don't have to meet up with the guys—"

"Oh thank God."

"—We could always take you clothes shopping for your impending date with Adam." She finished with a mischievous smirk.

The blonde's eyes narrowed into slits. "Overpriced coffee at _Starbucks _is just fine."

An unkind snigger escaped from Mickie's mouth before she could stop it and two of the three turned to her in mild surprise. Ashley didn't bother to, as she already knew what her best friend was being reminded of, and waited for the explanation patiently.

"I'm sorry," apologized the brunette after snorting, "it's just...well, Ash has decided not to make a huge effort for the date. It's her way of protesting because she can't do anything to stop it."

"Which means," added the stubborn girl as she spotted the annoying green sign of their destination mere feet away, "I'll be greeting him wearing my scummiest clothes."

"Don't be silly, Ash." Maria giggled. The redhead, excited at the prospect of seeing Randy, rushed forwards and swung open the heavy door with all her strength. "You won't be greeting him at all—you'll be too busy gritting your teeth and making a mental note to kill Mickie when you next see her."

"She's got a point."

As the redhead rushed ahead, Ashley, for the first time that morning, agreed with Eve. "You're right. She knows me too well."

The three fell into silence as they watched their friend greet Randy with a whole lot of enthusiasm, and then blush when he offered her the seat beside him.

"Oh God...Eve, quick!" Mickie hissed all of a sudden, grabbing the Latina by the arm. "Um...come and get a drink with me."

The other two shared a smirk before the brunette dragged her away. It was quite clear what—or better yet, who—her problem was.

Ashley was left alone but that didn't stop her from walking over to the table and introducing herself. As she hadn't been out with them for dinner before, she'd never had the pleasure—or horror, she didn't know yet—of meeting them officially.

"Hey. I'm..."

She trailed off at the inconvenient moment, leaving the guys to wonder what the problem was. If they'd followed her gaze to the restroom where a certain someone was just slipping into sight then they would have known.

"Are you stalking me?" Adam smirked as he came to a stop in front of her.

Clearly not amused, the smile on her face disappeared, and her lips pursed into a familiar thin line. It was _now_ that she was making a mental note to kill Mickie; her best friend had nicely failed to reveal who else would be here.

"But I—" She began, clearly put-off. "We're not supposed to see each other until the date."

Well she had been avoiding him, but that wasn't the point.

"I think you'll find that's the night before the wedding." A moment later, he raised an eyebrow. "Ashley Massaro, are you hinting at me?"

There was a moment of silence and then a splutter of, "Ugh, you're so...I can't believe...you're just...I'm outta here!"

As the blonde disappeared, Maria shrugged. "She took that pretty well, I reckon."

General chatter returned to the table as Adam took his seat, defeated. As though nothing out of the ordinary had happened the group moved onto their next topic of conversation.

Eve approached the table a moment later, an iced caramel drink of some sort in her hand, only to find herself distracted by her best friend. She watched with great interest as Randy and Maria interacted with one another. It was as if they were in their own little world; even as the others laughed at a joke, they didn't take their eyes off of each other.

_Hmm_, she thought,_ I think I'm going to have to talk to her later._

"Hey Eve."

Disrupted, she shifted her gaze from the pair to Mike, who stood to greet her. After getting a kiss on the cheek, she blushed lightly. "Hey yourself. Oh, Mickie will be over in just a second—she's just ordering her drink."

She was rather certain he didn't care for this particular issue, but Phil did. In fact he looked up from his book just to spot her. When he did a smirk curved his lips.

A smile on her face at the sight of this, Eve took a seat, waiting for Mike to take his before she carried on the conversation. "So how have you been? I haven't seen you recently."

"I've been good," shrugged the blonde, "how about you? Maria told me you were stressed out about something."

"She did?"

"Yep."

She shot a glance at her best friend, trying to send her a message via the mind. This particular message wasn't so kind and roughly went along the lines of: _Thanks a bunch, you ditzy idiot._ It was just a moment later that she was surprised as Maria looked in her direction, but she was forced to roll her eyes when the redhead offered a thumbs up and a bubbly smile.

"Hey, Eve," interrupted Phil, "is Mickie hiding over there because of me?"

"Pretty much, yeah."

The dark-haired guy nodded, suppressing a smile as he stood to go over and greet her.

"Eve?"

Crashing back into reality, the Latina turned to Mike, who was smiling back at her. "Oh, I'm sorry. I—"

Her cell phone vibrated in her pocket, breaking them apart once again. It was with a guilty smile that Eve excused herself to see who it was.

_New message from: Matt._

Swallowing lightly, she pushed her phone back into her pocket. Was this karma's way of telling her that keeping secrets was wrong? Because if so, she didn't know how much longer she could take it.

* * *

"Guess who?"

As two hands pressed gently against her head and then closed over her eyes, Mickie stiffened. It didn't take a genius to work out who'd just approached her, and with a sharp breath, she opened her mouth to respond.

"Hey Phil. What's up?"

"Why don't you tell me?" He laughed, pulling his hands back to his side and allowing her to see again. "You've been avoiding me as far as I know."

She didn't answer. She was far too concerned about the position they were in now; with her back pressed against his chest, she could hardly concentrate on her view out of the window, never mind his accusation.

"Wow. You're shyer than usual."

She could feel his breath against her neck. He was close—usually, for her, this would be a too-close-for-comfort situation, but she didn't particularly care. It felt nice.

"Can you blame me?" She eventually found her voice, a little high-pitched but nicely controlled all the same. "You're really—"

"Testing you?"

At those two words, she finally turned around, eager to question him. She found herself gazing into his eyes, and then down to his lips, cutting off anything she had wished to say before.

"How are we supposed to have a decent conversation if you can't even talk to me?"

"I can..."

"No, you can't." He chuckled. "You look like you want to run away every time I see you. And how is that any way to start a relationship?"

"Well it's not obviously but..." She gulped suddenly. "A relationship?"

"Yeah, a relationship. I mean, I like you, Mickie; I think you're awesome. You just have this issue with me."

"Issue?"

"You're really shy, Mickie."

"Shy?"

"Yeah. I would have made a move already if it wasn't for you being so fragile."

"Made a move?"

"Okay," said Phil, placing his hands on her shoulders, "Are you going to keep repeating everything I say? If so, I'm going to walk away."

She grew a little more confident, despite the physical contact, and cleared her throat. "So go ahead. Make a move or whatever...see if I care."

"See if I care?"

"Okay, admittedly I didn't mean to sound like that," she winced, "but what I _do_ mean is that I am perfectly fine with whatever you want to do with me."

...

"Oh God, that sounded terrible! I mean...with...well, you know..."

Phil couldn't help but to laugh as he took his hands away from her shoulders, and placed them back at his sides. It was with a smirk that he asked, "Are you sure you could handle it?"

"Positive."

This was a lie. Far from confident now, Mickie felt as though she would pass out if he were to come any closer to her. As he leaned closer, she couldn't help but to wonder, _why didn't they teach you about guys back in high school?_ If they did she surely wouldn't be having a problem now trying to work out what she was supposed to be doing.

"You sure?" He whispered one last time, his lips almost against hers.

"Mhm." She replied shakily.

And at long last, his lips pressed against hers. For a moment she couldn't do anything but stand there, shocked. Thankfully, a moment later, she came to her senses and kissed him back. As the passion seeped through she slipped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer to her.

When he pulled away, she kept her eyes closed. "I knew it." She whispered softly.

"You knew what?"

"Your hair is totally soft...definitely touchable."

"Er...thanks," said Phil, now taking note of how her fingers played with his hair. "That's what every guy wants to hear after he kisses someone."

But it didn't stop him from kissing her again. She giggled against his lips—this, the whole scene, was simply perfect in her mind.

Well it was until...

"Wooo!" Cheers came from a certain table. It didn't seem to matter that everyone else in the shop had begun to stare at the supporters; they carried on regardless. "Go Mickie!"

The brunette, slightly confused, pulled away and looked past Phil's shoulder. A pink blush tickled her cheeks as she took in Eve and Maria's grins and the guys knowing smirk. "Oh my gosh..."

"You okay?"

"I...uhm..." Her gaze flickered from them to her crush. "I really have to go now."

And as expected, even though Phil didn't know her so well, she fled from the place. He was left to watch in amusement as she rushed past the clear window and then out of sight.

* * *

If there was someone who wasn't shy, it was Maria Kanellis.

Just a minute after seeing one of her closest friends run away from a guy, she turned back to Randy, eager to get back to their conversation. It wasn't so important, as they were merely discussing their music preferences, but she was so interested in what he had to say that she didn't ever want to stop talking to him.

She was only now realizing that her crush on him was becoming something much more; if she wasn't careful, and she _wasn't_, her feelings for him would grow much stronger than it should be possible.

But as she stared at him with wide eyes, and he smiled back with that cute grin of his, she didn't seem to care about anything...about any objects in the way. Michelle was far from her mind as she felt their friendship grow.

She had no intention of splitting up a good relationship, of course, but she wasn't about to allow any frantic bunny boiler thoughts come to mind. She was finally happy to find that she _could_ be friends with a guy she had a crush on—just friends.

"So how is Michelle anyway?" Maria enquired, leaning forward on her knees. She, being fully indulged in the conversation, wasn't aware of how close she was to him now. "She told me she was going to call me about doing something together, but she hasn't yet."

"Oh right," nodded Randy. "I remember her telling me something about that. I think she's got an issue with her roommate."

"But I thought she just moved out?"

"Oh no, that was with Maryse. Now there's a problem with the new one...Kelly or something." He shook his head, and it was clear he was trying not to roll his eyes. A moment later a smile curved his lips. "But she'll call in no time. She doesn't break her promises."

"That's nice of her." She smiled lightly. "Well I'm looking forward to getting to know her...and I hope you don't mind me asking, but how did you two meet?"

"I've actually known her since kindergarten. I grew up with her and our parents," he stopped to roll his eyes, "decided that it would be a good idea to set us up. It turned out pretty well in the end. We've been dating since the start of high school."

"Oh wow. That's a long relationship."

"Yeah, it is, isn't it?" There was a slight pause. "But I love her. She's everything you could ask for in a girlfriend."

The redhead nodded. "I'm sure. It sounds like you might be heading down the aisle soon enough."

Maria meant this as a joke, and even giggled at her wit, but Randy choked on his drink. She watched on in concern as he lifted a napkin to his mouth to muffle his coughs.

"Oh...I'm sorry. I didn't mean to..."

She trailed off. What didn't she mean to do anyway?

"It's okay." He attempted a laugh as he turned to face her again. "I'm just...uh...not thinking about marriage right now."

"Well no, of course not. I'm sorry I brought it up."

Now feeling slightly awkward, she recoiled back into her seat, searching for an opening to start another conversation. But there simply wasn't one. Surprisingly, she felt a hand touch her jean-clad knee.

"It really is okay, Maria." Randy smiled at her. "You were just interested. There's nothing wrong with that."

"I suppose not." She smiled back.

The two stayed that way for a little longer, and it wasn't until he suddenly pulled his hand back that she realized how intimate the situation was. Tucking her red curls behind her ears, she glanced away and in the direction of her best friend.

Strangely enough, Eve was staring right at her. The brunette mouthed, _"We need to talk"_, and then got back to her conversation with Mike.

For once, Maria agreed. She had a feeling that her friendship with Randy was going to be hard to maintain if she couldn't stop having these "forbidden" moments with him.

"So...erm...can you believe Phil and Mickie? Talk about unexpected!"

Her fake enthusiasm seemed to do wonders, as the dark-haired guy was able to agree and then talk about the pair. She nodded at the right time, but had to wonder, all the same, if he felt the moment between them too.

_No, he didn't_, she thought to herself as she watched Randy talk, _of course he didn't feel anything in the so-called moment. He has a girlfriend and he's happy with her. Who am I to disturb anything between them? Exactly. I'm no-one._

* * *

So there's the next chapter. Please review :)

Up next is **Ashley's** chapter.


	11. Girls Do What They Want: Ashley

The Great Escape

**AN: **Thank you to **RKO.I.F, xSomeKindaRush, Christal-R, CrazyWWEFreakJNH, Melissa Cristina, MonkeysUncle, WWEFan1990, Deeelyndz, Ashleymassarophan1, jojocheer28, Cena-Wilson-Crazy, rory21, purplefeather21, TJ Sparkles, MzxJones, JeffxMaria **_and_ **Chain Gang Princess** for reviewing the last chapter.

Thanks so much :D

Chapter Eleven – Girls Do What They Want

* * *

**ASHLEY**

* * *

"Move."

Even with the single command, Ashley nudged her best friend out of the mirror's view, and put herself into it. Twisting her lips, she offered a thoughtful look to her reflection as she examined her outfit choice for the evening.

"And just what look are you going for?" Mickie eyed her up and down.

"The _I made all this effort to look disgusting just for you_ look. Perfect, isn't it?" The young adult grinned, ignoring the look on the girl's face.

With a look of approval, she turned back to the mirror. She was dressed in a pair of her scruffiest jeans, ones with careless holes in the knees, a bright red shirt that read in black block letters: _If you can read this, you suck_ and, to top it off, a pair of her oldest sneakers. She only brought them to college with her as back-up shoes and, as she looked down at them admiringly, she caught the blue paint still spattered over them from when she first decorated her room.

She'd paid no attention to her face or hair whatsoever; with her longish hair tied back into a messy ponytail and no make-up on her features, she looked as though she had just woken up.

"I wouldn't exactly use perfect as the word to describe your attire," said Mickie, rolling her eyes as she grabbed her laptop from her dresser. "I mean, jeez, I know you want to repel the guy but there's no need to practically push him away."

"You're a fine one to talk," retorted Ashley. At the clueless look she received, she just had to laugh. "Oh please. I heard about your little scene at _Starbucks—_in fact, everyone heard. So do tell me...what are you going to do the next time Phil kisses you? Move back home?"

The brunette merely scowled. "I hate you."

"Aww, how sweet of you to say so." She smiled, just narrowly avoiding the compact mirror thrown her way a moment later. "Besides, like you have any right to hate me—you're the sucky friend for setting me up on a date with the jerk."

"He does have a name, you know."

"I know he does...quite a few actually. Jackass, jerk, egomaniac—"

"Oh shut up. I bet you'll end up having fun with him."

"I highly doubt it." The blonde scoffed.

"At least give him a chance."

"Hmm...let me think about that. No!"

Mickie opened her mouth to retort to her stubborn friend, only to be cut off by a few urgent knocks to the door. Her excited squeal was countered with a groan. "Go on, answer it!"

With last look of disdain for her friend, Ashley trudged over to the door. She opened it a short moment later, and would have found herself staring into Adam's eyes had it not been for one problem. Of course, being her, she had to point it out. "You're wearing sunglasses at night? God, you're such a tool."

"There you go using that God word for me again..."

"Picking out selective words huh? Okay. How about jerk or asshole? Do either of those take your fancy?"

"So finally you admit you fancy me."

She clenched her firsts, but was sure to remind herself not to lose her temper so easily. She turned to Mickie, shooting her a death glare and offering "Be back soon" before storming out.

Adam hurried to keep up with her. "I know what this is about...you're not nervous are you? Feeling sick?"

"Unfortunately not...unless you count the constant pain in my backside."

Smirking, he answered, "Good. Then we're ready to go."

"You know," she stopped and placed a hand on her hip dominantly, "I can keep this sarcasm thing going all night. You don't know what you've got yourself into."

"Please." He scoffed. "Sarcasm is my middle name."

"Really? I thought it was jackass." She laughed, walking ahead. "Oh, I could go on and on..."

Despite the negative attitude, Adam chuckled and caught up with her. "You look good by the way."

She tried not to grit her teeth as she took in his compliment. She'd made herself look especially bad for tonight, and this was what she got in return? "Yeah well...you don't."

Her lame comeback was also a lie.

Dressed in dark blue jeans and a white top with a particular design on it, Adam looked the epitome of cool and casual.

But she wasn't about to let him know that.

"So." Ashley began as they made it outside the dorm and into the cool night air. "Where's that awful killing machine of yours?"

"I take it you're talking about my car—we're not taking it. For a start, I don't think you'd like it, and secondly, the place we're going to is only five minutes away."

Her eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Where are we going exactly?"

"You'll see."

"Just to be clear—and DON'T get cocky—I'm glad we're not driving to wherever we're going. It's quite clear that you're an insane driver."

"Oh yeah, sure. Or maybe you just decided to step out of nowhere and test my ability."

And so a squabbling contest began. She was so involved in it that she didn't realize, a mere four minutes into their walk that they had already arrived at their destination. Adam had to point out the small fact and she turned, preparing herself for the worst.

Gobsmacked wouldn't even begin to describe her mood.

Utterly surprised, her eyes swept over a familiar flickering light that read: ARCADE. This was where they were going? Not somewhere fancy, but here? Apparently so, she decided, as she stared at the yellow neon light.

The arcade was, in fact, one of her few favourite places she'd discovered upon moving to this new city. But how had he known? He mustn't have...unless...

"Alright." She snapped, trying to ignore his knowing smirk at her reaction. "Who told you I liked to come here? Was it Eve? Maria? Mickie? I wouldn't be surprised actually, that little—"

"No-one." He shrugged.

"No-one?"

"I do have a life, you know—I like to come here too."

"I doubt you have a life but whatever."

"All insults aside, let's just go in, okay?" As she had nothing more to say, he followed her into the place, taking in their company for the evening.

Entertainment of all sorts—dance machines, driving games, sport centres—made the place come alive, its colourful display giving a dangerously fun effect to the evening.

Even Ashley couldn't hide her glee as she spotted the _Guitar Hero_ game in the far corner. Whenever she came here, she would always go to that one first. Single player or kicking someone's ass, she had fun.

And apparently someone knew of her desire too.

"I bet I can beat you at that," smirked Adam, taking off his sunglasses with one hand and pointing to the machine with the other.

Folding her arms across her chest, she turned to him. "I know what you're trying to do."

"What's that?"

"You're trying to make this seem like a date, but let me tell you something. This is _not_ a date; this is merely me being blackmailed into accompanying you for this evening." She didn't stop for breath, even when he opened his mouth to retort. "And now you think you can just pull me into competition with you knowing what I'm like? Well, no, it's not going to work."

"So?" He shrugged. "Okay. I'm better than you at Guitar Hero; you're accepting that and that's good."

She twitched.

"Hey, it's okay. Sometimes you can't be the best at everything—of course, _I_ wouldn't know because I'm just made of pure awesome."

...

Breathing heavily, Ashley broke her silence. "Okay, that's it. I'm gonna beat your smug ass!"

She was fairly sure, as she stalked over to the machine, that Adam had a smirk on his face as he followed her. For now she didn't care; when the game was over, his smirk would be no longer, and would be instead replaced with a scowl as he realized how hard _she_ rocked.

After both had grabbed their guitars, she flicked through the song choices. It was with a twist of the lips that she wondered which one to go for. A hard one to prove her strength at rocking out? A weak one just to go easy on him?

"You know, if I didn't know any better," said Adam from behind her. She felt his breath on her neck as he added, "I'd say you were stalling for time."

She felt somewhat tingly at their close proximity, but all too instantly put it down to violation of personal space. With a frown, she finally picked Paramore's _Misery Business._ She knew this one too well; there was no way she wouldn't win.

"Interesting choice."

"Yeah." She raised an eyebrow at him as the game began. "Ready to swallow down your words?"

Adam didn't answer.

For the first minute or so they were both so involved in hitting the right buttons and notes that it was impossible for them to break concentration. But it was after that—when he happened to catch a glance at her—that he allowed himself to relax.

Because Ashley was smiling.

It was such a rare visual for his eyes to rest upon when it came to her that it made him lose his focus for a moment. Even if it was for just a few split seconds, the smile he saw would forever stay in his memory as the first time he'd seen her happy.

"Losing your touch a bit, aren't you?" She commented smugly as her game rival missed a couple of notes. "You're such a tool, honestly."

But she wasn't saying that a couple of minutes later when not only did he catch up, but he managed to finish as the winner.

Shocked, she stared at the screen in disbelief. _"What?"_ Eventually she turned to him, only to find his arms raised high in the air and his eyes closed, as if enjoying a silent celebration. "No way..."

When he didn't stop his pose, she hit him in the stomach, and that brought him crashing back into reality. His smirk seemed even cockier as he turned to her, and she couldn't help but to narrow her eyes in anger.

"Don't hate the player, hate the game."

"That's it. We're playing again—you must have cheated or something. That's got to be the only way you won the game."

"You're only going to give yourself more heartbreak this way..."

She shook her head at his comment, but he caught the tiny smile on her lips as she turned to pick another song.

* * *

It was about two hours later when they finally stepped back onto the sidewalk and into the cold night air.

While Adam had beaten her fair and square in Guitar Hero, she had levelled his success with most of the other games, and it had been decided that they were now tied in their scores. Neither would let the issue drop but were strangely content even with their competitive spirits.

Now walking side by side, Ashley tried not to get too excited. They were heading back in the direction of her dorm and that would mean the date was over. All would be perfect if she didn't have that weird feeling in the pit of her stomach.

Was it odd for her to hate the guy but not to have entirely hated the evening?

Shaking herself out of the moment, she focused on Adam, only to find he had already stopped a few feet back. Rolling her eyes, she reached him. "What is it?"

"I'm feeling kinda tired...you know, from being so awesome..." He feigned a loss of breath and pointed to a bench. "Mind if I take a breather?"

"Uh, yes!"

As she should have predicted, he ignored her.

The blonde nearly stomped over to where he was sat and placed herself beside him. Trying not to let her frustration get the better of her, she stared up at the night sky. She couldn't help but to think how peaceful the evening was—even if the company was not.

The glimmer of the sparkling stars caught her attention and for a long while she was captivated.

Adam softly nudged her shoulder. "You seem to have a lot on your mind."

She sighed, forgetting for just a moment of the guy sitting beside her. "It's hard not to."

"Why's that?"

Her eyes flickering from the stars to Adam, she recoiled. She'd lost herself, and even though it was only for a moment, it wasn't what she wanted. Her soft expression hardening, she replied, "Are you ready to go now? You've had your breather right?"

He failed to answer and instead stared at her. It was in such a way that she couldn't help but to be mesmerized. No guy had ever looked at her like that...like her thoughts _actually_ mattered. It was nice, but at the same time, completely inappropriate of the company.

So she changed the pace of things.

Tearing his sunglasses away from his face, she rolled her eyes. "What did I tell you about these? You _don't_ look cool wearing these...not in the day, and especially not at night. Okay? Now let's go. It's getting late and I would like to kill Mickie before I fall asleep."

He watched her for a moment longer, but finally conceded to her wish.

She twirled the sunglasses around her finger as they walked in silence. Things between them weren't exactly awkward, but neither could think of something to say in the peaceful moment.

Ashley was relieved as she spotted the dorm in the near distance. "Well this is me."

"That sounded horribly cliché."

"It did, didn't it?" She paused for a moment, and then let out a small laugh. "Ugh, how disgusting of me."

"So where's the part where you tell me that you had a nice time tonight?"

"You're never going to get it," said the blonde, shaking her head.

"So you hated tonight? You've never had a worse time in your life? This was utter hell for you?"

"Well I wouldn't say that exactly..."

"I just got the part now." He smiled. As she rolled her eyes, he continued. "And you know what happens next right?"

She didn't actually.

At least she didn't until his knowing smirk caught her eyes.

"This _isn't_ a real date, buddy. You're not getting a goodnight kiss from me!" She exclaimed confidently, and stalked forwards. "In fact, I'll see you around—hopefully not."

She left him outside as she swung the door open and stepped inside.

"Well done, Ash," she smiled to herself, "You avoided a major no-no moment."

But as she reached her room and opened the door, her good mood dropped.

Waiting for her was Mickie, Eve and Maria. They all sat on her bed, open magazines surrounding them, but when they noticed her, they shot from their positions with wide eyes.

"So how was it?"

"You actually had fun, didn't you?"

"Did you...kill him?"

She turned to Eve, who had made the last comment, and shook her head. "No. By some weird coincidence, I did not."

"So you had fun?"

"I wouldn't go that far..."

"Aww, you like him! You like him!" Maria bounced towards her, taking a hand in hers. She would have taken both if not for her discovery. "Aww, did he give you his sunglasses? That's so sweet."

Ashley didn't even want to know why that would be "sweet", but did curse herself as she glanced down at the accessory in her hand. She'd forgotten about his sunglasses.

"I forgot I had them actually, but I'm sure he'll remember to get them back."

As if on cue, there was a knock at the door. With a knowing smile towards the girls she went to answer it. Finding Adam, as expected, she lifted the sunglasses. "I knew it would only be a matter of time before you came back for your precious—"

Without warning, the Canadian swooped down and pressed his lips against hers. It was so sudden that she forgot, for a moment, to push him away. Instead she responded. Their competitive sides were not lost as they both battled for possession.

It was Ashley who gave up though, widening her eyes as she pushed him away. "What the hell?!"

"I knew you liked me." He winked, took his sunglasses and then walked away.

In disbelief, she slammed the door shut. She could hear the soft squeals of her friends from behind her, and tried to block them out.

It wasn't until a certain girl stopped her squealing and instead began to sing that she stopped staring at the door.

"You want to hug him, you want to kiss him, you want to love him..."

"Right!" Ashley snapped as she turned around and zeroed in on Eve. The brunette was already backing away and for good reason. Much to Maria and Mickie's amusement, the blonde lunged forwards. "I'm gonna kick your ass!"

* * *

So there's the next chapter. Please review :)

Up next is **Eve's** chapter.


	12. Back Off: Eve

The Great Escape

**AN: **Thank you to **RKO.I.F, Christal-R, TJ Sparkles, Melissa Cristina, Cena-Wilson-Crazy, xSomeKindaRush, CrazyWWEFreakJNH, WWEFan1990, Ashleymassarophan1, Deeelyndz, Chain Gang Princess, jojocheer28 **_and_ **rory21** for reviewing the last chapter.

You guys are cool :)

Chapter Twelve – Back Off

* * *

**EVE**

* * *

"Rise and shine girly!"

To wake to Maria's smiling face – no matter how adorable it was – had not been at the top of Eve's to-do list. The brunette moaned in protest, the first noise to slip through her dry lips that early morning. Despite its warning, she still found an unforgettable urge to get up properly.

"Why are you so happy anyway?" _Not that it's a surprise or anything_, she added to her thoughts as she used all her strength to lift herself into an upright position.

"I'm meeting Randy for coffee before class. I've only told you, like, a million times!"

"Oh right...yeah, I remember now. I think you should go for decaf though, mkay?"

Swinging her bag onto her shoulder – and nearly hitting herself in the eye with the strap – the redhead cocked her head to the side. "Why?"

"Oh...no reason."

"Alrighty then. So what's going on with you today?"

"Well I had planned to sleep in since I've only got a couple of lectures this afternoon but I guess," she then shot a knowing look in her best friend's direction, "that's not happening now."

Truth be told, the brunette didn't actually mind being up so early. Sure, an extra hour or two of sleep sounded like heaven, but she had plenty to do in the meanwhile. Studying was her number-one priority, of course, as she hadn't been able to concentrate in quite a while due to other problems.

"Aww I'm sorry," said Maria in response, but looked anything but. The grin on her face was indication enough that she was wrapped up in her happy bubble already. "Hey, I think Mickie said something about meeting for lunch today if we're all free. What do you think?"

_Sure_ – an easy answer – was on the tip of her tongue. It really was. The thought of spending a little time with her girls, even if she would have to suffer Ashley's company, was a comforting one to her. Unfortunately, another thought replaced that one to cloud her once clear mind.

"You know, actually..." She began, tucking a loose curl out of her eyes and behind her ear, "I'm going to be really busy today. I've got studying to do and Matt said he would call at some point so—"

"Ooh, say no more! I'll be more than happy to leave you alone if it means you get to spend quality time with the boyfriend. Well not _spend time_ obviously...but more...more...chat with him and, uh..."

"I get what you mean, Maria."

"Oh good – I had no idea where I was going with that line!" Once again, the hyper ball of energy was back. She raced around the room, nearly sending Eve into a dizzy spell until she located her at the open door. "I will see you later then. Don't forget to tell me the details of what he said!"

"Do I ever?" She smiled faintly at the closing door.

Now left alone, the Latina sighed weakly, tucking her arms around her knees as she glanced around the room. The only thing on her mind now was Matt, but that wasn't necessarily a good thing.

_How can such a good thing be so hard to hold onto?_

She was beginning to wonder whether it was worth having a boyfriend who lived so far away. Her friends had told her that maybe – just maybe – she would find herself far too emotional to cope with a relationship when she had so much to focus on. Of course, she had taken the words in with consideration, and even thought that herself at one time...

But he was Matt Hardy. He was the guy who had won her over on their first date by branching out and not taking her to a restaurant like some cliché guy. He'd taken her to the beach instead and they'd watched the stars together. That night was perfect, as were the ones that followed. They were inseperable, branded the perfect couple by others around them – well apart from Ashley, but she had always been bitter so she didn't count.

Their relationship was so perfect that when it came to their imminent separation, she spent her very last night with him. She was so in love with him...they didn't have to say it to one another; they just knew. That last night was very special for so many reasons, but the main was personal to her. Committed to him fully, Eve had lost her virginity to him.

She knew he was worth it and that he was the guy for her.

So why did she feel this way now?

Feeling a lump rise in her throat, the young adult slipped out of her bed and decided to do something productive with her day. She needed something to distract her from all of the memories and bad thoughts combined...some_one_ to distract her.

Before thinking of Mickie, she thought of Mike.

And then cursed herself for doing so.

"What is wrong with you, girl?" She scolded herself as she slipped into the bathroom. "Maybe a shower will clear my mind."

So, after allowing the water to run for a while, she stripped off her pyjamas – a _Charlie Brown_ pattern, no less, which Ashley constantly made fun of – and stepped into the shower. The water was both hot and comforting to her skin, and she closed her eyes, losing herself in the moment.

It seemed like everything was much simpler when she didn't have to think about anything or anyone.

If only life was that simple.

* * *

Eve was beginning to wonder why she wanted to go to college in the first place.

Surrounded by a large stack of books on her left side and her notepad and pen on her right, her study session in the library didn't seem to be going too well. Every time a promising theory came to mind to explain an answer, she always blanked out, leaving her unable to progress onto something a little more challenging.

To put it simply, she was far too caught up in recent events rather than what she was supposed to be focusing on. And, actually, another distraction was coming her way.

"Hey Eve, what's up?" Mickie smiled as she slid into the chair beside her friend, resting her handbag where there was a small space on the table.

"Trying to study but not getting very far," smiled the brunette weakly, "What about you?"

"Oh, I've got about ten minutes until my class starts so I thought I would wait here until then."

She narrowed her eyes. "You're lying."

"What—how do you know?"

"It's simple. Your nostrils flare when you fib about something."

"Really?" Mickie's eyes widened. She frowned a beat later, covering her nose. "That could be a problem with Phil." She finished in a muffled reply.

"Okay...so what's the reason you're really here? And for God's sake, take your hand away so I can hear you properly."

The petite brunette did just that and sighed in defeat. "Ash is over there. I can't leave her side until we're both safely in class."

"...Why?"

"Because she thinks she'll run into Adam. It's ridiculous, really...oh and she also thinks that everyone is talking about their date too. Ask her something and I swear she'll say the same thing every time. Look, she's coming now."

"I don't have anything to say."

"That doesn't matter. Just say _something._"

Eve, somewhat confused, turned her head, only to find the blonde stalking towards them. She had a look of frustration on her face but that wasn't anything new. Tired of Mickie's nudges every so often, she finally worked up the nerve to talk to her. "So Ash, is—"

"I HATED IT, OKAY?!" Ashley exclaimed all of a sudden, ignoring the looks she received from the other students and pulling Mickie to her feet. Turning to the brunette again, she glared. "He's a JERK and I'm NEVER going out with him again!"

And then they both left.

Amused, the brunette ducked her head to get back to her work. The sooner she could concentrate, the better. Unfortunately, that just wasn't going to happen...

"Uh, do you know your friend is a little mentally unstable?"

...But this time she wasn't exactly complaining.

A soft smile was already on her face as she glanced up to meet Mike's smirk. "Oh yeah, we all knew that. She actually has a good reason to be a psycho today though."

"Really? Why's that?"

"Oh please, like you haven't heard..."

"That's true too. Do you mind if I sit down?" After she offered him the seat next to hers, he grinned and took his place. "So you got me – Adam already bragged to me this morning. Apparently she couldn't get enough of him last night and—why are you laughing at me?"

"I'm not laughing _at_ you...but she is gonna be so pissed off when she hears what he's been saying. I can't wait."

"So let me get this straight. You're happy because your friend is going to be angry?"

"Oh, no, we're not friends. Just acquaintances."

"Right." Mike laughed, leaning in a little closer to see her work. "So what are you doing – anything I should be working on too?"

For a moment, she simply stared at him. He was sitting so close to her that it was impossible not to. Clearly he was comfortable with their positions – come to think of it, she was too. He smelled good too. The cologne he was wearing was something she'd smelled before, but she couldn't quite put her finger on what it was.

"...Eve?"

"Right," she coloured, but thankfully he didn't notice, "No, it's not really. This is for another class. Don't worry, Miz, you're safe."

"Wow, you actually said my name without rolling your eyes."

"Oh please." Now she rolled her eyes, albeit playfully. "I still think your nickname is as ridiculous as your mohawk."

With a boyish grin, she lifted a hand to run it through his hair. He simply laughed in response. Discussions about his "ridiculous" hair took place almost every day, and so they were both used to the playful behaviour.

Mike came to rest his arm around the back of her chair, but she didn't seem to notice as she pulled a heavy book towards her. "Alright. Now I _really_ need to study."

"Is that a nice way of saying you want me to go?"

"If I wanted you to go, I would have said so already." She winked at him. A beat after doing so, she recoiled into a shyer version of herself. Where had that come from anyway? "But I do need to study."

"It's cool. Even if you wanted to be in my awesome presence – which I don't blame you for, by the way – I've got somewhere to be anyway. I'm meeting someone...and as a matter of fact, here she comes now."

She didn't appear to realize, but the brunette lifted her head at the mention of _"she". _It was an automatic response she wasn't ready for. As the surprise passed, she followed his gaze, wondering what he was so busy smiling at.

The next person to enter the conversation was undeniably British. "Miz, hi. Where have you been?"

"Where have _I_ been?" He smirked, pulling her onto his lap. "I've been waiting for you but you obviously didn't look far enough to find me."

"More like the other way around. So, um, who's this?"

Mike, having forgotten his manners, shook his head. "Right sorry. This is the girl I was telling you about, remember? Eve, this is Layla...Layla, Eve."

Eve smiled kindly, but it faltered when she noticed the way the short student looked her up and down slowly, as if trying to suss her out.

"Nice to meet you." She managed, fighting the strange urge to dive across the table and take her down right then and there.

"You too. So _you're_ the fabulous girl he talks about so much...I wonder why that is."

"I'm confused too," said Eve before she could stop her mouth, "Mike hasn't mentioned you. _Not at all._"

Even as they entered Bitch Headquarters, The Miz was oblivious to their glares. In typical guy fashion, he carried on as though the girls were the best of friends. "You two should hang out sometime – I bet you have a lot in common!"

They had one thing in sync, clearly, as they both rolled their eyes at his comment.

"Maybe." Layla nodded, rubbing the back of his neck with such a sensual desire that Eve found herself annoyed. "So you ready to get out of here?"

_So you ready to get out of here?_ She echoed immaturely in her mind. _Where does she think she's going anyway? We're stuck on campus with nowhere to go._

"Sure. Just wait here a minute while I go and get my book."

"You're actually reading? That's a first."

He grabbed Layla by the waist, moving her so he could rise to his feet. "Careful, I might just withdraw that offer to walk you to your class."

She simply giggled as he walked away. What shocked Eve was how she went from one mood to the other – no sooner had he disappeared, she turned, the smile on her face replaced with a glare.

"So..." The brunette began, too tired to start an argument she knew would come soon enough. "How do you know him?"

"How is that any of your business?"

"I'm just interested to know."

"Well, yeah, whatever," scoffed the girl, who was, in that moment, acting like a diva. "Just back off, okay?"

There was a moment of silence before she allowed herself to reply, "Excuse me?"

"He's mine – or he soon will be anyway – and I don't need you as a threat. You're not worth his time or attention so I don't know why you're even hanging around him."

"Okay, first of all, I'm not 'hanging around him', okay? _He_ came over to sit by _me_ because we're friends. Yes, friends...do you think you can handle that word?" Now in her element, Eve raised a finger. "Oh and thank you, thanks so much."

"For what?"

"Well I'm just so flattered that you think I'm a threat. Seriously, you act like you're all that so to consider me as competition...I'm _truly_ flattered."

"You've got the bitch act down perfectly; you can't pretend to be Miss Innocent in all of this."

"Hey, I'm just being me – I'm not innocent but I'm not anything like you. If you have a problem with me then that's fine. I don't really care."

"Whatever." Layla smirked, straightening out her designer clothes. "When you're ready to admit you want _my_ guy let me know."

She opened her mouth to retort, only to close it again. The war of words hadn't been won at all but the star of their conversation was making his way back to the table.

He seemed oblivious to the evident tension, and slung an arm around Layla. "Let's go then, don't want to be late."

"Bye Eve."

"See you around." She smiled back just as sweetly, and waited until they were both gone before she dropped the act. "Stupid bitch."

She wasn't quite sure what to make of her sudden hatred towards a student she hadn't even met before, but in that moment she wasn't looking for answers. She was too busy stressing about the added drama she just didn't need.

"Work, just work." Eve muttered to herself. With much more confidence, she lifted her pen to the paper...only to drop it when her text alert went off.

She knew _exactly_ who it was.

_Sorry, I know I said I would call but I've got a lot of things to today. Hope you're doing okay though and I'll call you when I have time. Matt x_

The brunette texted back: _Don't worry about it babe, I'm busy too. Studying and all that jazz. Speak to you soon. Eve xx_

Halfway through pushing her phone back into her pocket, she was somewhat surprised to get another text from him.

_Before I forget, I think I can drive up at the weekend to see you. It'd be awesome if you're free. Love you._

And she texted back: _I'm definitely free. I'll let you know if that changes. Love you too. I miss you a lot. E xx_

Then, finally, she was given a little peace when he didn't text her back. She slipped her phone back into the front pocket of her jeans and glanced to the white page of her notepad. Nothing was written on it apart from her name.

_Right. My essay will be written on..._

But she was no longer able to focus on her work. Had she been in the first place?

With too many thoughts swirling around in her mind, Eve hunched over the table, resting her head on her elbow. She was tired and exhausted – was this what it felt like in the first few weeks of college? If so, she only hoped things would get better for her instead of causing her stress.

Unfortunately, she already knew the answer was not in her favour.

* * *

So there's the next chapter. Please review :)

Up next is **Maria's **chapter.


	13. My Girls: Maria

The Great Escape

**AN:** Thank you to **Chain Gang Princess, RandomlyAwsomer, xTwistedxImperfectionx, xSomeKindaRush, Melissa Cristina, Cena-Wilson-Crazy, TJ Sparkles, RKO.I.F, jojocheer28 **_and_ **rory21 **for reviewing the last chapter.

Thanks very muchly :)

Chapter Thirteen – My Girls

* * *

**MARIA**

* * *

The sky was a dull and murky grey. Rainclouds hovered over the campus, threatening to spill over and ruin the already drab day. As if it being Monday wasn't enough, the dark atmosphere did everything in its power to worsen the fact.

There was one college student, however, who wasn't too fussed over the weather. Her mood didn't reflect the general depression, but, in fact, stood out prominently.

Of course the student in question was Maria, who wore a bright smile on her face as she bounced around her dorm room. Red locks jumped on her shoulders, occasionally landing in her eyes, as she searched for something in-particular.

"Tell me why this is important again," sighed Jeff a little too heavily as he loitered around her bed.

"I've already told you! My mom wants me to send some pictures home – you know how she is – and since you're one of my closest friends, you have to be in at least one of them."

"But—"

"You're not getting out of this and that's that. I plan to have everyone I know from home in the photos."

"Good luck with Ashley on that one."

"Already sorted. I'm going to sneak up on her. She won't be happy...but really, what's new?" A beat later, she cheered. "YAY! I found it!"

The guy glanced in-between her and the item, and then shook his head. "Only you could be so happy on such a miserable day."

"That, my friend," she grinned, "is because I'm finally meeting up with Michelle. We're hanging out today. Isn't that great?"

"Er, I suppose so...but Eve called her a bitch."

"Yes but Eve is exactly like Ash: unnecessarily critical," replied the redhead and rolled her eyes. "Anyways, let's take this picture before I forget. I sometimes start to ramble when I really shouldn't."

"Sometimes? You do it all the time, Maria."

But she'd already cocked her head to the side, a popular look in her case. "I really should do something about it. A short attention span isn't a good thing, is it?"

"Maria...the picture?"

"Oh right!" She snapped back into life. With a renewed sense of energy, she skipped to the other side of the room to join him. "Are you ready?"

He rolled his eyes, which meant, yes, he was.

The pair ended up taking quite a few pictures together, sharing goofy poses all the while; mock serious faces, sticking out their tongues, over exaggerating the rock _and_ peace sign, and, finally, her kissing his cheek.

Jeff certainly wasn't able to deny the fun they shared. He did, however, try to downplay it. "Alright. Enough of this," he announced, heading for the door, "I've got to go and find Candice."

"Bye!" She exclaimed cheerfully enough, but was actually paying no attention to him whatsoever. "See you later."

She glanced back down at her digital camera, engrossed in the new visuals. These would be just perfect; her parents loved Jeff and so they would be pleased that their daughter was still maintaining her friendships despite being in new surroundings.

All this talk about "being herself" was sure to delight them now; if everything was the same as it had been back home, how could they deny the proof?

"Oh hi...Michelle, right?"

The bubbly student's head snapped to the open doorway where she was pleasantly surprised to find Michelle nodding politely at Jeff.

When he disappeared, the tall blonde twisted back to greet Maria. She smiled, lifting a hand to wave lazily. "Hey. I know I said we'd meet somewhere else but I was already out of my dorm and thought I would come and see you anyway. Is that okay?"

"Definitely." She nodded. "Just give me a sec and I'll get my jacket. We can go for a walk if you like."

"Sure." There was a short pause before Michelle asked, "Jeff is Candice's boyfriend, right?"

"Yep. Why?"

"Oh...no reason. I was just wondering. That's all."

A look of confusion swept over the redhead's face, but disappeared just as quickly. "Okay then. I'm ready now."

"Alright." A fresh smile graced the blonde's features. "Then let's go."

* * *

It was mid-afternoon by the time the girls arrived back on campus. Having been just about everywhere their footsteps would follow, they were both fairly tired, but energetic in their pursuit to return.

Traipsing into the guys' dorm, the two looked like the best of friends with Maria's arm looped through Michelle's and bright smiles on their faces.

"That was a good day out," said the redhead of the two, "Don't you think?"

"Definitely – though it's a bit of a downer to come back and realize we've got a load of work waiting for us."

"That's true...but college is college. I wouldn't trade my position for the world."

"I'm with you on that one," smiled Michelle, her Southern twang sweet as she eyed the doors they were passing. "_But_ I might want to trade positions with you in a minute. You see all these shopping bags? Well Randy doesn't like me to overspend...don't ask; he's protective over his girls—"

"His girls?" Maria giggled.

"Yep. His mom, his sister and me," the blonde explained and then rolled her eyes. "That's Randy Orton for you."

She settled for a smile, but was thinking inside: _She's so lucky to have him. He's wonderful._ Of course she kept this particular thought to herself; it would do no good whatsoever to have the guy's girlfriend hear about her feelings for him.

"And here we are. How much do you want to bet he's asleep?"

She didn't have the time to respond as her new friend quietly pushed the door they'd arrived in open, and waltzed in. Maria, somewhat cautious, followed after her. She had a strange feeling deep inside her...she was almost giddy and nervous at the same time.

But this was only Randy's room. What reason would she have to feel like this? Just because he was a crush – or former, she hadn't decided – it didn't mean seeing his room for the first time was a huge adventure for her.

...Did it?

"Yeah, there you go. I'm always right."

The student snapped out of her funk, re-focusing in on Michelle. She followed her gaze to the bed, where, true to her word, Randy _was_ sleeping. She cocked her head to the side for a brief moment, studying every inch of him that she could see.

The dark-haired guy was sprawled all over his cover; his head barely on the pillow and one arm dangling over the side of the bed. In an image somewhat recipient of a five year-old kid's position, he looked perfectly vulnerable.

Maria, in an instant, had an overwhelming urge to move closer and sit down beside him. She briefly visualised running her fingers through his short hair, looking down at him lovingly...and then perhaps tenderly kissing his forehead to wake him up.

But – instead of doing that – she wisely placed both her hands behind her back and clasped them together tightly.

_Stop thinking like that, Maria. It's not right._

"Do you want to put your bags down?" Michelle asked, breaking her from her thoughts as she glanced over to find her pointing to the items barely dangling on her wrists. "You look like you're struggling."

Yes, she was – just not over her bags.

"Sure," smiled the redhead innocently, turning to find a suitable place to dump her stuff. When she had – a small spot beside a dresser – she twisted around again...only to find Randy awake and staring at her. "Oh hey." She offered shyly, but soon giggled. "Did you have a nice nap?"

"It was...interesting." He said, a little weary-eyed as he sat up a little, resting on his elbow. His free arm snaked around Michelle's waist, who was now sitting beside him. "What have you two been up to?"

"Take a wild guess," laughed his girlfriend.

"You went shopping, didn't you?" He rolled his eyes. Sitting up properly – though not before dragging the blonde with him – he glanced around his room. "Though I see Maria wasn't sucked into your habits...good."

"Actually," smirked Michelle, "I think you'll find you're wrong."

Randy was just a little dramatic as he turned to the redhead. "Please say it isn't so."

Maria giggled at his little show, and pointed to the spot behind her. "I'm afraid so – and what's so bad about me going shopping anyway?"

"I'm just looking out for my girls. That's all. It's not just shopping anyway..."

There was a moment of silence. It was safe to say that both girls were thinking the same thing: _What did he just say? _It wasn't so much to do with the meaning of his comment, but two words he used in it.

A look of unease was plastered over Michelle's face as she shuffled a little, and then out of his grip. Standing to her feet, she tried her best to remain calm. "I'm just going to head to the bathroom. I need to...clean up. Or something."

Maria watched until she disappeared behind the door, and then swallowed lightly. She glanced over to Randy, who was smiling lightly at her. She returned the smile despite her nervous mood.

Whether he knew it or not, the guy had just planted a seed of doubt into both their minds; for entirely different reasons but he'd still managed to do it. For Michelle, it meant questioning her relationship – for Maria, it meant questioning what he actually meant.

_Looking out for my girls. My girls. MY girls._

Did he really mean to say that or was he just being friendly? As much as she wished the former option was the truth, she had a feeling that he was just sleep-deprived from being woken up too early.

But the way her heart lurched when he'd said _my girl..._

"Oh shit." Randy swore as he lifted himself to his feet and glanced over to his desk. "I shouldn't have fallen asleep – I've got a paper to work on."

"Oh. That sucks," offered Maria unhelpfully, as she unfortunately was most of the time. "Well I'm heading to the library later so if you want to join me you're more than welcome too."

"Thanks, but I'm going on a dinner date with Michelle later tonight," he explained. Then he furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "What is she doing in there?" He asked, pointing to the door.

_Wondering what you think of me._ "Oh...I don't know. I should go now actually."

"Really? You don't have to if you don't want to – I wasn't forcing you out or anything."

"Oh, I know! But just like you I've got work to do so..." She trailed off.

An awkward silence swept over them, but only for a few seconds before he walked over to her, closing the once moderate gap between them. She was startled as he ducked a little to meet her eyes. "You're okay, right?"

"Me?" She began, a little confused. "I'm fine. Why do you ask?"

"You just seem a little...unlike yourself. Which, I know, probably doesn't make any sense. You just don't seem as bubbly and...happy...and...lovely...as usual." He finished quickly. "But you're okay?"

"Yes, perfectly."

"Awesome." His smile brightened a little as he lifted a hand to wipe away the stray lock covering her right eye. "Because I'd hate to see you upset."

Maria had nothing to say in response; such a moment didn't even need anything after it. Instead she stood there and gazed into his eyes...

_Crap. Crap. CRAP! _She thought desperately a beat later, shaking herself out of the moment. _This is Randy, someone else's boyfriend!_

The door to the bathroom creaked open, giving them both all they needed to truly pull themselves out of the situation. Randy didn't look so guilty of himself – unlike Maria – which she was sure meant he hadn't felt the moment at all.

He walked away from her and towards his girlfriend, a look of confusion on his face. "Are you okay?"

"Fine. That took a little longer than I thought it would." Michelle smiled weakly. She wrapped her arms around his neck a moment later, pulling him closer. "But I _am_ fine."

And to prove this, she kissed him.

It was no ordinary kiss though; no, this was a passionate and tender lip-lock. The blonde squeezed her boyfriend as though he was the only one in the room...as if he was the only person worth paying attention to. He responded in kind, of course, and the pair were soon involved in their own little familiar world.

Maria finally took the hint, grabbed her bags and left the room, shutting the door behind her quietly.

* * *

"I'd say," Eve finally spoke up as her lips left the pen she'd been sucking, "Michelle is either incredibly grateful for her boyfriend all of a sudden _or_ she knows that time is running out."

Maria had all but given up on the work in front of her. She'd arrived at the library with her best friend a little over an hour ago, only to find she was not in a positive enough mood to put herself into anything she had to do.

Now she was intrigued with a popular subject of conversation.

"Time is running out – what are you talking about?"

"You know, for her and Randy. Their relationship." The brunette then rolled her eyes. "Don't look at me like that. You can deny it all you like, but I know she's threatened by your friendship with him."

"But..." The word was left in the air.

Was there a point in arguing her case when in all actuality she was starting to see her friend's point? Disgraceful as she thought it was, the student couldn't deny what everyone else appeared to be telling her: she and Randy had a special friendship. Very special indeed.

"Well Michelle can feel threatened all she wants...intimidated even, but nothing is going to happen so she doesn't have to worry," said Maria with an air of confidence. "I know better than to mess with someone else while they're with someone. It's wrong. If you're in a relationship, that's it – there shouldn't even be any consideration towards someone else..."

That would usually be Eve's cue to pick up the conversation, and twist it around somehow to make the redhead believe she wasn't in the wrong at all. But not today. The Latina just sat there instead, gazing into the distance.

"Are you alright, girly?"

Maria's soft tone brought her back into reality and she swiftly nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. Um...what were we talking about?"

"Nothing that important," she shrugged, all too happy to get out of the discussion. She sighed weakly. "Alright. I suppose that if I'm not going to get any of this work done I should head back to the room. Are you coming?"

"I'm right behind you."

She waited for Eve as she collected her things and then looped her arm into hers. "You know," she picked up the conversation as they headed for the exit, "You really should give Michelle a chance. She's nice...and fun to hang out with."

"Oh please. I actually agree with Ash for once: Michelle's a bitch."

"I wish you'd stop saying that."

"When it stops becoming true I will..." At Maria's disappointed expression, the brunette softened. "I'm just making it easier for you; when you end up with Randy, you won't feel so bad because his ex was such a—"

"Stop it."

Obediently, Eve did as she was told.

The redhead wasn't satisfied with the silence though. It just led her straight back to her thoughts of Randy. Then her thoughts of Randy _and_ Michelle.

But then – after a while – she paused and reminded herself of one thing. They'd been together for a long time, right? So surely they were strong enough to remain a couple throughout college and their love was irreplaceable.

_Yeah, that's right_. Maria thought to herself proudly. _They're happy with each other and that's enough. I'm not even a threat._

If only she knew of the chaos Michelle was creating right now...

* * *

So there's the next chapter. Please review :)

Up next is **Mickie's **chapter.


	14. Punk Drunk?: Mickie

The Great Escape

**AN:** Thank you to **RKO.I.F, xTwistedxImperfectionx, Katie, xSomeKindaRush, xXRiaHardyOrtonXx, CrazyWWEFreakJNH, Crazysexycool, RandomlyAwsomer, Cena-Wilson-Crazy, Ashleymassarophan1, Melissa Cristina, jojocheer28, Chain Gang Princess, rory21, TJ Sparkles, justbornawsome **_and_ **Crystal5996 **for reviewing the last chapter.

Thanks very muchly :)

Chapter Fourteen – Punk Drunk?

* * *

**MICKIE**

* * *

During their stay on college grounds, the girls had realized there were a few things they would have to adapt to. Sleeping arrangements and being away from home were at the top of the list, but didn't surpass one rule in-particular.

And Mickie James was already struggling with the problem this morning, as she rushed around her room frantically, gathering all the things she needed for her first class of the day. This was, of course, to Ashley's amusement, who felt it was necessary to laugh from her comfy position in bed at the most inappropriate times.

"Notepad, notepad...where is it?" She muttered to herself in annoyance as she picked and then shoved everything on her desk aside. "How has this happened? Could have sworn I wasn't running late ten minutes ago..."

As her best friend let out a boastful and slow yawn just to show how easy she had it, Mickie had to roll her eyes.

There was only one reason Ashley was acting this way – despite her nature – and it was all to do with Adam Copeland. Stupid Adam Copeland who had to be caught out lying about his date with the girl who "had a thing for him". The truth was ultimately revealed – in front of his friends – when she overheard and did what she'd wanted to do for a long time; inflict pain on the Canadian. A hard slap to the right cheek had left the blonde happy ever since.

"Why don't you try over there – where your laptop is?"

"Yes, thank you, Ash but I think I would know if—" There was a brief pause as her eyes flickered over to her bed. "Well...there it is."

"Told you so."

The brunette didn't rise to the occasion – no matter how annoying the sing-song voice became – and hurriedly grabbed the item. After looking at her watch again, and almost gasping when the time was shown, she decided it was right to leave now.

It was almost a mission to race out of the building, into the blinding sunshine, and then find the right direction to travel in.

Once she arrived, Mickie was out of breath and more than aware of how foolish she looked, panting and puffing when everyone else was perfectly calm walking around.

"...What are you doing?"

Already breathless, she didn't have the energy to jump at the sudden voice addressing her – though she was somewhat freaked out. The mood passed, predictably enough, when she caught sight of Phil staring back at her with an amused look on his face; a familiar pose in their relationship.

When she just stood there embarrassed, he raised an eyebrow. "Mickie, are you still with me? What are you doing?"

"We have, like, two minutes until class starts! I had to rush to get here." At his change in expression, she whined, "What?"

"It's only twenty to – we have plenty of time. In fact I was just on my way to the library for a little while..."

"No, no, no." She persisted, pointing her watch in his face. "See? It's on the hour now exactly. And I remember I took a shower – at what I thought was a fairly reasonable time – and then checked the time, only to realize I took much longer than I thought."

"Mickie." The dark-haired guy chuckled. "There must be something wrong with your watch because behind you there's a clock and it says the real time."

She turned and sure enough the time read as twenty to the hour. As she faced Phil again, she couldn't help her look of confusion. "I know a watch can stop and make you think it's behind, but to go forward in time? That doesn't make any—oh wait, I know exactly what's happened."

"You do?"

"Yep. Just give me a minute, would you?" She muttered through gritted teeth and turned slightly. "I have to make a call."

Just a moment after dialling the number, someone answered, laughing unabashedly. _"I wondered how long it would take you."_

"Not funny, Ash. I can't believe you had me rush around like that!"

"_It was just too tempting to refuse."_

"You know, when I thought of how you hadn't played any pranks on me since we arrived here I was happy about it. Why start now? I know you're happy but damn—"

"_It's all about the reaction, baby."_

"I hate you."

"_And there's the perfect one right there."_ The blonde laughed again.

"Carry on and I'll set you up on another date with Adam." At the scoff received, she smirked. "Don't think I won't – unless you're planning to share your little _secret_ with the world, I see no problem in—"

"_You suck."_

"It's all about the reaction, baby." She quoted her best friend with laughter. A beat later, she had control of the situation. "But I suppose I owe you. Now I have twenty minutes to make out with Punk—"

"_Er...who?"_

"Punk, my nickname for Phil."

"_Don't even want to know why, but okay. Have fun sucking face—urgh."_

"You're so anti-love."

"_You're not in love, Micks."_

"No...but still, you're anti the idea anyway." She shrugged. "Anyway, I've got to go."

"_Yeah, making out to do. Blah, blah, blah."_

"See you later."

It took a moment for Mickie to realize – after that pointless conversation – that she still had company beside her. She blushed guiltily when she came across Phil's smirk, and tried not to run away from him as she remembered all she'd mentioned about him to Ashley.

"So do you wanna head to the library?" He asked politely to save her the embarrassment of explaining herself. "We've got fifteen minutes to study."

"Sure." She smiled, relieved and walked beside him.

"But you know," he then said, that famous smirk reappearing as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, "If you do want to make out now, it's perfectly fine with me."

* * *

All in all it had been a good day for Mickie; despite the prank played by Ashley, she was in high spirits when she returned to her dorm room. The brunette leaned against the door after shutting it, without a care in the world, biting down on her lip and displaying a smile as a fresh memory of today floated into her mind.

Her classes had been great, but it wasn't her progress that was making her happy right now. If her friends were here with her now they would probably brand her as a school-girl at heart but thankfully they weren't, and she was allowed her childish moment.

Phil's lips were soft – _definitely_ soft – but he kissed her with such passion that it bordered on rough loving. The pair had stuck to the plan in the library, acting like immature teenagers as they slipped towards the back and proceeded to grope each other in the most inappropriate fashion. It was fun, care-free, and resembling everything Mickie wasn't. Maybe that's why she enjoyed it so much.

So now she continued her day with a smile, collapsing onto her bed. She was slightly exhausted – despite her activities – and couldn't help but to go off into a daze. Not about Phil this time – surprisingly – but about her girls.

The four hadn't hung out all together for a while, she realized, and she hadn't seen Maria's bubbly face in a while. It was odd not to be so in touch with the redhead, as she often made it her mission to call.

Feeling a little deprived, she reached for her phone and dialled in the correct number. It took a while for the call to go through, but when it did, she could hardly hear a thing. "Er...Maria? Are you there?"

"_Oh hey, Mickie. It's Eve."_

"On Maria's phone?"

"_Yes. Erm...there's sort of, kind of a problem," _announced the Latina in a tone that worried her. _"If you're able to, do you think you could come to our room?"_

"Sure. What's wrong?"

"_You'll soon find out. Don't worry, it's not really horrible...it's just...strange."_

With this in mind, the brunette hung up and began on her way to the room. She was somewhat confused at the explanation, not quite knowing what to make of it, and was definitely concerned about what was going on.

When she arrived, she had a good reason to feel this way.

"I mean...why...why would anyone think of me that way?" Maria cried out as she lay on her bed, several used tissues surrounding her. "I don't understand. How can you hate someone you don't even know?"

"What is going on?" Mickie questioned as she moved in closer. "Eve?"

"There's been a rumour," sighed the student weakly, "and it's pretty much being stated as a fact."

"What rumour? I haven't heard anything."

"That's probably a good thing," sniffed the redhead. A beat later, she frowned. "And I know I shouldn't feel this way; I've never allowed a rumour to get to me before and I shouldn't now. But this is so horrible and people actually believe it. I got glared at this morning. Glared! I've never been glared at before—"

"Hold on a sec. What is this rumour? Is it that bad?"

But her distraught friend didn't have the energy in her to explain, and looked away, searching for a new pack of tissues.

Eve filled in for her. "Apparently she's having an affair with Jeff. I don't know where this came from – maybe because they hang out together so much? – but all I know is everyone is taking it to be true. So now she's painted as a whore when she's clearly not."

"Candice isn't even speaking to me anymore! She actually _believes _what's being said to me." Another sniff was heard. "I thought we were really close friends, but I suppose not..."

After taking all this information into account, Mickie moved forwards, perching herself on the edge of her bed. "I'm sure Candice just isn't reacting well – give her a while to calm down and then you girls can talk properly. I'm sure everything will be fine."

"It's not that just that." Maria sighed, as Eve rolled her eyes behind her back. She obviously knew what was coming next. "Michelle is being cautious around me – I just know it! She wouldn't even look at me properly this morning when I said hello to her. I think she thinks I'm going to steal Randy away from her. But I'm not like that, really!"

"We know that, but she doesn't know you well."

"And she's a bitch." The Latina of the trio muttered under her breath, causing the pair to turn to her. She widened her eyes in defence. "What – it's the truth!"

"Anyway," said Mickie, moving on. "What's a rumour? You know the truth don't you? You're _not _a whore and you're not like that."

"I know...but it just upsets me. And now it upsets me that I'm upset because I don't let petty things like this get me down."

"I know you don't. I think it just came as a bit of a shock to you."

"I just want to know who started the rumour. I can't think of a reason why I've upset someone enough for them to do this."

"It's just...what happens. There's no explanations; rumours are rumours, and they're spread without care," said Eve beside her. "People who've taken the time to spend time with you will know it's all a lie."

"Yeah. What you have to do is wipe away those tears and hold your head high. If you're not bothered about the rumours then everyone else will soon forget about it."

"I doubt it."

There were a few moments of silence – with an exception of sniffs – before the peace was interrupted by a knock at the door.

Mickie, sympathetic, handled it and answered to Michelle. "Oh...hi."

"Hey." The blonde smiled lightly. "Is it okay if I talk to Maria?"

"Actually she's a little upset at the moment."

"Oh I know – I wanted to talk to her about it. I feel really bad—"

"For what?" Eve cut her off sharply, but held back on narrowing her eyes for the full effect.

"Because she's so upset," said Michelle innocently as she stepped into the room. "I just want to make sure she's okay."

"It's okay girls." Maria finally spoke again, nodding to them. "I'd like to talk to Michelle anyway."

Both were wary but eventually left them to it, closing the door softly behind them. There was a strange silence that followed – as if they were trying to work out what was going on – before Mickie and Eve decided it was best to move onto another subject.

"So...how has your day been?"

A guilty smile curved her lips as she answered, "It was good – you know, the usual happened. How about yours?"

"It was okay, I suppose. Matt called – he's driving up here this weekend to see me."

"That's awesome. I'm happy for you."

"Thanks." The curly-haired brunette smiled lightly. "So that's me sorted out. What are you planning to do? Oh wait, let me guess...study?"

"Am I that transparent?" She laughed. "Well I am going to study actually, but I'm also going to see Punk."

"Who's Punk?"

"Phil."

"Okay..." There was a moment of silence before the conversation continued. "Well – in that case – I'm happy for you. It's about time you got someone you deserved."

"What do you mean?"

"Well back in high school it seemed like you didn't have time for guys. You were always caught up in your school work and stuff. What I'm saying is it's nice to see you let your guard down."

"It was up?"

"Of course it was. You can't tell me you didn't recognize that about yourself – you cut off dating entirely."

Of course Mickie recognized it in herself; she simply didn't know it was seen by everyone around her too. Nevertheless, she was now content enough not to care for the details. Instead she said, "With Phil, it's different. He's just...great."

"Do you have a lot in common?"

She took a moment before answering. "I want to say yes...but I'm actually not sure." Her smile then dropped. "Come to think of it, I don't know that much about him."

"Oh..."

"But he _is_ an amazing kisser," she giggled a few seconds later, "that I know for sure."

"Always a good thing."

The conversation flowed for a good while longer, but Mickie was somewhat reserved, as she thought about her relationship with Phil.

She _thought_ they were getting closer as the days went by – it would definitely explain all the make out sessions – but now she was beginning to wonder if there was any substance there between them. She really didn't know all that much about him and was sure it was the same vice-versa.

This left her slightly upset. She'd finally allowed herself to relax with a guy, and it turned out the relationship was meaningless. A few kisses didn't amount to anything, did it? If they were to get to know each other on a deeper level would they still be together?

She was scared that knowing the real Phil would lead to a divide between them, and that was something she didn't want.

"...But you look really happy whenever you're around him." Eve grinned, bringing her away from her thoughts. "It's really cute."

The brunette was only just able to smile back. "Yeah...cute."

But seeds of doubt had been planted in her mind now, and she was beginning to wonder if some things seemed more real than they actually were.

* * *

So there's the next chapter – sorry for the long wait! Please review :)

Up next is **the girls' **chapter.


	15. I Know You Want Me

The Great Escape

**AN:** Thank you to **RKO.I.F, CrazyWWEFreakJNH, Cena-Wilson-Crazy, RandomlyAwsomer, Melissa Cristina, xTwistedxImperfectionx, Chain Gang Princess, Tjsparkles **_&_ **justbornawsome **for reviewing the last chapter.

Thanks very muchly :)

Chapter Fifteen – I Know You Want Me

* * *

**THE GIRLS**

* * *

Saturday morning rolled around slowly but surely for the girls, and three of the four were happy to wake up to the sunshine pouring through their open windows, the promise of a fantastic day ahead of them. Weekends were sacred for college students and free time away from study sessions were greatly appreciated, leaving them, predictably enough, looking forward to their activities today.

In Eve and Maria's room both were already up and ready to start their day. The Latina of the two was especially enthusiastic in her routine, as her boyfriend was finally coming to visit her from back home. The days leading up to this moment were, she had to admit, spent thinking cautiously about whether it was a good idea for their reunion to take place. While eager to see Matt, she was frightened to find out if things had changed significantly in their relationship.

But now – as she slipped her favourite bracelet onto her wrist – Eve was willing to bet she couldn't feel any happier.

A smile graced her roommate's features as she flicked her vibrant red curls behind her and said, "I'm really excited for you! Oh and Jeff too, but definitely you! Love's young dream back together again." A short pause offered a light sigh. "This is so romantic."

A giggle was shared. "Well I'm really excited to see him. We were talking on the phone yesterday for about an hour and I swear, I just felt...felt as though we're stronger as a couple now."

"Aww." Maria cooed as she picked up her cell phone. "If it's alright with you I'll stay long enough to say hello and then head off."

"Sure, that's okay. What are your plans?"

"I'm going to hang out with Michelle."

The brunette tried not to let her smile drop as she asked, "Again?"

"Yeah. You know, she's really been there for me recently and I think she's about to become another close friend of mine. I know you have your doubts about her but she's just so sweet. Give her a chance, k?"

Not wanting to argue over the matter, she managed a nod. "Sure."

But truth be told, she wasn't content with her best friend becoming close with Michelle. Jealousy was not, as predicted, the cause for her discomfort; no, she just had a bad feeling about the blonde that wouldn't go away.

Since the new friends had chatted, Maria had quickly returned to her old self, all smiles as she announced that she would no longer be bothered by immature, petty rumours. This was quite the turnaround, but she didn't seem to care anymore – she was happy for things to stay as they were.

"Where are Ash and Mickie? Weren't they supposed to meet us here so we could walk out together?"

"Well," the brunette rolled her eyes as she headed for the door, "Knowing them, Mickie is probably still trying to get the bitch up."

"Eve—"

The warning tone was noted. "Oh come on, she calls me one all the time. Now can we go and walk out front? I want to look out for Matt!"

A joyful atmosphere surrounded them when they made it to the main entrance; they clearly weren't the only ones in a good mood, as several other students passed them with bright smiles on their faces while they talked to their friends and family.

"Okay, hi. Here I am." A familiar bored tone echoed behind them. Both turned, spotting Ashley first and then Mickie catching up. "Can I go now?"

"Ash, c'mon!"

"No it's okay," shrugged Eve after the redhead's protest. "You don't get on with Matt and I'm not going to force you to stay – no matter how tempting the idea is."

"Thank the Lord. Okay, bye."

Mickie rolled her eyes as the blonde side-stepped her and then turned back to them. "She's heading to the library. Her laptop isn't working so she wants to use the computer up there to check this music website..."

"How interesting." Eve made a face. "Whatever. I'd prefer it if she wasn't here anyway."

For the new few minutes or so the three discussed their classes and how they were getting along with them. Great was the answer, especially for Mickie, who'd aced her second debate – this time against Chris – with utter confidence. She simply failed to leave out the _lack of_ confidence she had about confronting Phil, and their so-called relationship...

"Hey ladies," a familiar tone interrupted their discussion of study sessions, "What's up?"

They all smiled at Adam, who looked just to be passing by, and Maria remarked, "We're just waiting for someone. How about you?"

"I'm just heading to the library – I've got a book to check out."

As Mickie opened her mouth, Eve pinched her arm, taking over. "I'm sure that'll be _interesting_ for you."

"Uh, I guess so. See you later."

After he stumbled off, the redhead of the group turned to voice her disapproval, only to be caught off-guard by a shiny blue car pulling into the entrance way. "Oh my gosh!" She squealed in true Maria fashion. "Matt's here!"

* * *

There was nothing like a moment of peace and quiet to ensure a relaxing Saturday morning in front of a computer screen. Unfortunately, Miss. Massaro was not being granted this, and scowled as the guys a row behind her laughed at something on their own monitor both loudly and immaturely.

_Stop remembering how to break someone's nose. Stop remembering how to kill someone. Right now. You'll only end up with a prison sentence._

Clutching the mouse in a death grip, her knuckles pale and white, Ashley tried to focus on her mission instead of the anger building up inside of her. She was here to order a treat for herself, not to end up in court for attempted murder. Thankfully, as the site flashed up in front of her, the mood shifted.

Ever since she was a little girl – or eleven at the very least – she had discovered her love for genuine rock music. With her parents arguing on a daily basis over the smallest thing, her brother ignoring the whole scene, and her feeling as though she just didn't fit in with the other kids at school, she'd needed an escape from it all. The form soon came in wonderful lyrics from guitar Gods, and she found herself relying on these bands to voice the opinion she didn't dare to speak.

Now, years later, she was a music enthusiast and intent on discovering new talent to quench her thirst. As she clicked on the subtitle 'New Releases' and scanned the album titles, she realized she was now happy in herself, and all because of one particular band.

"The Used? Nice. I listened to an album preview a couple of weeks ago and the record sounds promising." She turned, her smile dropping as Adam's widened into a grin. "Hey Ashley."

"Satan." She acknowledged him grimly, turning back to the screen. She wouldn't allow him to bring her down...even though he was annoying her so much just by standing behind her seat. "Is there something you wanted?"

He chuckled lightly, leaning forward to whisper into her ear, "I think you know what I want, baby."

She ignored the tingling sensation travelling downwards at their close proximity and uttered uncomfortably, "God, you're so disgusting."

"Nope, just incredibly turned on."

Determined to keep her gaze on the _Purchase Now _button, she used her free hand to shove him away. "How about you go away now and I don't break your neck?"

"You're so cute." The Canadian teased but backed off all the same. "I only came to find a book anyway."

He finally left her in peace and she was relieved for the absence. But little did she know of the small bomb he'd just placed in her mind...

_10, 9, 8..._

She grinned as she purchased the CD and sat back in her seat. Now she had something to look forward to, at least.

_7, 6, 5, 4..._

And she would certainly find pleasure listening to the new tunes when Eve went off into one of her rants about something completely stupid and unimportant.

_3, 2, 1..._

Her grin dropped almost immediately. A moment later, she had logged off from her account and risen from her seat, scanning the book aisle until she found the guy she was looking for.

_Bingo._

Fighting the urge to roll her eyes, she walked up and tapped him on the shoulder. He turned, saw her and gave the most fake look of confusion she'd ever seen. She sighed; clearly she would have to speak first. "You don't read," she pointed out dutifully.

"Really? That's news to me!"

Okay, he was really annoying her now. "I mean you can but you choose not to. You told me that yourself. So what do you possibly want to check out from here?"

"You remember me saying that from our date?"

"You mean the blackmail plan?" At his knowing smirk, she shrugged awkwardly. "In-between kicking your ass at being awesome, I can recall you'd said something like that."

He laughed, returning to the view of the neatly-stacked books in front of him. "Yeah, well, this is just something extra for Sociology."

"Fascinating." She drawled and made to leave.

But she was to be surprised when he tested his strength and seized her arm with one hand, dragging her back towards him. She barely had time to say Boo before he'd enclosed her in the small space, pressing his hands on either side of the bookcase, and his body against hers.

She tried to speak, but couldn't without sounding so unlike her. "What are you doing?"

Pleased to hear her talk so breathily, he fought the urge to smirk. "When," he said instead, "are you going to admit you're into me?"

For a moment her no-bullshit attitude completely left her body. She found herself reacting to his sensual touch and glancing down to his lips mischievously. His breath lightly blew her blonde locks, travelling to the tender part of her earlobe and making her want to...

Precisely 1.6 seconds later, she widened her eyes, shoving him away. "God, just get over yourself!" She exclaimed.

Adam watched as she stalked away, smirking as he shouted after her, "Now how can I when you keep referring to me as the Lord?"

Chuckling at the librarian's glare of disapproval, he turned back to the books, now in a much better mood than before. He had to give Eve Torres credit – this certainly had been an interesting visit.

* * *

Despite keeping Matt Hardy as her little secret, Eve was now more than willing to introduce him to people as the love of her life to just about everyone she knew. She'd grabbed his hand tightly, listening to the sweet sound of his well-remembered chuckles as she pulled him through the crowds to show him around.

It just felt so good to see him again. Her heart had lurched when his handsome features had focused on her, and she knew in that very moment that any doubts about him were scratched out now.

"I missed you." She sighed lightly when they reached her dorm room and all was quiet. She was now happy for Maria to spend some time with Michelle, as it allowed them some privacy. "How are things over the other side?"

"The same as usual. It was a little weird going back to work though after you left."

"Oh really. Why's that?"

"Well you weren't there at my lunch break, barging in with a magazine and scoffing at the celebrities in it for their bad fashion choices." A soft smile curved her lips, brightening his. "And then Jeff wasn't there to scoff at you for buying crap like that."

"Oh, Jeff!" The brunette's eyes widened. "I'm so selfish – I've been hogging you for all of today, you must want to see him!"

"I do but don't worry about it. He said he'd see me tonight before I left for the hotel. Jeff's busy."

"Too busy to see his brother?"

"Ah, well actually," he chuckled, "He's taking Candice out for the day. Apparently she's a little mad at him...over some rumour concerning Maria? Anyway, he's got some making up to do."

"Right." She nodded.

The conversation hadn't ended at all but Eve felt it was necessary to keep her mouth shut as she merely stared at him. He was here with her, _right here. _And it felt amazing.

"Are you alright?" He raised an eyebrow, fighting a smirk. "I thought college was supposed to make people smarter."

Clearly he was referring to her dazed look and she hit him on the shoulder before wrapping her arms around him. "I love you, Matt." She spoke truthfully. "And you have no idea how much I missed you."

A weary sigh escaped from his lips as he raised a hand to wipe away one of her many stubborn curls. "I love you, too." He uttered, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her closer for a kiss.

She pressed her mouth against his willingly, thinking in that very moment: _he's the one._ This was how she felt around him, in love and happier than she could ever possibly imagine to be. Was it possible to feel _this _emotionally attached to someone? She didn't know and she didn't care; she was more than in love with him.

It wasn't long until the couple discovered her bed and she, pulling him down with her, failed to remember the size of it in comparison to the one in her bedroom. An innocent giggle slipped from her swollen lips as he fell off the edge, but she soon joined him on the floor, lying on top of him as they once again become close with another.

So involved in the passion of the moment, both were oblivious to the half-open door widening and someone stepping inside. In fact, they were only aware when someone coughed awkwardly, and then attempted to leave.

But it was too late for a disappearance as Eve's head snapped to the entrance and she found herself meeting a good friend of hers. Staring at his back, she was embarrassed as she uttered his name. "Miz."

Mike turned, offering the tiniest of smiles as he glanced in-between her and the guy underneath her. He rubbed his hand across the back of his neck as they got up and straightened themselves out. "I didn't mean to interrupt anything. I was just, uh, dropping this off."

Her heart racing – from the surprise or the fact it was him, she did not know – the Latina glanced down to his hand, only to find him waving a few coloured papers in his hand. Of course. She'd told him to stop by to drop off some of the coursework they were both working on. How could she be so stupid as to forget?

"Thank you."

"No problem," he nodded and turned to Matt, "Hey, I'm Mike."

"Matt." The Hardy Boy nodded in return, and then raised an eyebrow. "She just called you Miz though."

"Oh, right. Well that's because..." He paused for a moment, glancing over to her. She looked away, seemingly unable to catch his eye. Clearly the same thought was running through their minds. "Because we're _friends_," he caught up, pained to find how horrible it was to say this. "We've got a couple of classes together. You must be..."

He trailed off, but Matt picked right up. "The boyfriend, yeah. Would you do a favour for me? Look out for this one – she can be a firecracker at times." He laughed.

With the guy unaware of the awkward moment, Eve attempted to join in, smacking him on the arm. "Don't pay any attention to him. I'm really not."

"Okay." Mike attempted a chuckle and backed away. "Well I won't disturb you any longer, but it was nice to meet you. See you in class, Eve."

"Sure."

After he left, Matt turned to her, shrugging slightly. "He seems nice."

"Yes, he is." She answered. _Too nice to be hurt like this. _Because deep down she just knew it; she had a connection with The Miz. Still, she tried her best to ignore it now, searching for the happiness she felt prior to his arrival. "So...where were we?"

She found his lips again and was able – only just – to forget about her troubles and enjoy her boyfriend's presence again.

* * *

So there's the next chapter. Please review :)

Up next is **Ashley's** chapter.


	16. Breakdown: Ashley

The Great Escape

**AN:** Thank you to **RKO.I.F, xTwistedxImperfectionx, jojocheer28, Melissa Cristina, RandomlyAwsomer, TJSparkles, justbornawsome, Cena-Wilson-Crazy **_&_ **Chain Gang Princess** for reviewing the last chapter.

Thanks very muchly :)

Chapter Sixteen – Breakdown

* * *

**ASHLEY**

* * *

"Ashley, your rebuttal?"

A smirk had already curved her glossed lips, even before being called upon, and she was now confident in herself as she sat up straighter in her seat. Sociology class often brought out a fiery mood in her; strengthened, at this particular time today, by the debates. She never posed her opinions as facts, but was always eager to get her view across.

There was simply one reason why she loved this class and it was this: no-one was wrong or right. The questions asked where to be answered from one's interpretation on the matter.

And today she was going to let hers be known. "Well," she began innocently enough, "While I can appreciate Adam's view on the isolation process, I'm going to have to politely disagree."

There was a moment's pause for the students to chuckle quietly. They, including Adam who opened his mouth to speak, knew Ashley never disagreed _politely._ "Go on then. What do you think?"

She ignored his knowing smile – along with the temptation to walk over and smack him – and cleared her throat. "He mentioned that – as a natural move – the human mind tends to store things you don't want to see, such as bad memories, away in a forgettable place. That I can't argue with...but he seemed to insinuate people hide from their feelings in that way."

"Yeah," nodded the Canadian, tapping his pen lazily against the desk he was sitting at. "So what's your point?"

"My point – thank you very much – is that not everyone is the same. Some people choose to address their issues publicly while some people deal with things in a different, quieter way – it doesn't mean they're hiding."

"Surely pushing a memory to the back of your mind isn't dealing with it? The silence would only last so long."

"Well," the blonde continued with a pinched smile, "We can't all be as vocal as you, Adam. _Some_ people don't like to talk about themselves all the time."

As the students shared another chuckle, highly amused by the impending argument, he took a point to rise to his feet. It didn't matter that his desk was directly opposite hers – as if one side of the class was fighting his battle, the other hers; his point clearly had to be made from a more powerful, higher position. She simply watched, fighting the urge to stick her tongue out childishly.

"Look at you." He began, projecting his voice that little bit louder. "You look tense – your shoulders are hunched together and your posture looks too stiff. You're not allowing yourself to relax and it shows. Whereas I," he fixed her with an intent stare, "am feeling free to do as I say and feel."

"And when did this become about me?"

"I'm just making a point." He shrugged nonchalantly. All traces of his serious moment had disappeared; so quickly that she was beginning to wonder if she'd imagined the look he'd given her. "Correct me if I'm wrong but it seems like you have something on your mind...something you're not willing to share with anyone else."

She deliberated over this for a moment. "Well yes, you're right...but that doesn't mean I have anything to _hide._ Like I was saying before, people deal with things in different ways. I choose not to tell my side of the story and that is my way."

"But is this a healthy way?"

"An excellent question, Adam," interrupted their professor, as he stood in front of the projector. "One that we'll surely return to next class. I'm afraid we've run out of time and that's it for today."

Several murmurs filled the room as groups of friends rejoined each other to chat, but Ashley remained silent as she collected her papers, swung her vintage _The Clash _bag over her shoulder and vacated the room. She'd almost reached the end of the corridor when she heard footsteps scurrying behind her to catch up. Without looking back, she knew who it was.

"You're not mad at me, are you?" came a teasing voice.

She turned, stepped aside so she wouldn't get in anyone's way, and then fixed Adam with one of her scariest looks. "You're damn right I'm mad. What gives you the right to drag my personal life into the classroom?"

"It was relevant to the subject."

In disbelief, she watched him for a moment. "That's it? That's your explanation for trying to humiliate me in front of everyone?"

His eyebrows creased into a frown. "Hold on, Ash. I didn't try to do that to you. I wouldn't. I was just saying—"

"And my name is Ashley. Only my friends call me Ash...I barely let Eve so it's definitely out of the question for you." She told him coldly and turned to leave. "Now if you'll excuse me..."

"Oh yeah," he followed her, "You have some more hiding to do, right?"

Having reached the exit, she stepped out into the sunshine, only to whip her dirty-blonde head of hair back towards him. "Why does it bother you _so_ much that I'm not like anyone else?"

"Because I believe there's a different side to you that you choose not to show. And I want to find that part of you, see if she's a little nicer to me than you are." He joked as they resumed walking. "Take our date for instance. I saw a flash of difference...even if it was only for a minute it was there. You actually looked happy when we were playing all those games and on the way back, I'm sure I didn't imagine that vulnerability in you."

She stayed quiet for a moment, simply stunned at his words. Where was the real Adam Copeland and who was this deep, meaningful person confronting her instead? But a beat later, the blonde regained confidence and struck back. "I really don't need you to care. I'm fine with the way I am...so guess what? I don't give a damn if you're concerned."

"But I think—"

"I don't care what you think!" She snapped all too quickly at him, and then walked ahead, intent on leaving him behind. "Guys are all the same." She muttered to herself in order to control her feelings again. "They only like the chase, never the girl..."

* * *

To walk into her dorm room a couple of hours later and find Mickie, head down and shoulders slumped, sitting on her bed was somewhat of a strange picture. For a moment she wondered if she'd stepped into the wrong room, but no, that _was_ her best friend looking so utterly in despair.

"Everything alright?" She enquired cautiously, dumping her things onto her own bed. She wasn't one for girly talks – this she left for Maria – but the view before her was sad to see. "You look upset about something."

The brunette lifted her head slowly. A pout was already visible on her glossed lips. "I don't think I have a boyfriend anymore."

Ashley's first thought, unkindly enough, was: _Oh great, more guy talk._ She was still annoyed with Adam over his strange show of affection, and the last thing she wanted was to be reminded of her troubles too. But her second thought was a little more relevant to the subject: _Aww. Poor, vulnerable Mickie._

She didn't voice this opinion, but did prompt for her to continue.

"Well...I ran into Phil today – you know, because we have a couple of classes together – and I ended up telling him how I really felt."

"Okay..."

"Which was that, while I liked spending time with him, I can't help feeling we don't know each other well enough to be in a relationship. I mean, I'm not the kind of girl who just dives into things like that, you know? And sure, he's an amazing kisser but I really don't know that much about him. Not that he's a serial killer or anything, but I at least need to know a few facts about him. I want to be with someone I know something about. You know?"

A little amused, she asked, "You told him all this?"

"Well...yes. I think it's best to be upfront and honest."

"So what did he say?"

"Umm..." Mickie sounded anxious as she lifted herself to her feet and began to pace the room. Scratching her arm awkwardly, she said, "I don't actually know. You see, the thing is...I _kinda_ ran away from him before he had a chance to reply."

"Oh, Mickie." She laughed as she headed for the bathroom. "Only you."

She pushed the door to its usual ajar position and turned around, catching her reflection in the mirror. Just as she suspected, she looked as tired as she felt. She didn't know where the exhaustion weighing her down was coming from, but she would be glad to see the back of it soon.

Her best friend's voice, laced with worry, floated through to her as she searched for a hair-band. "Well at least I told him how I felt, right? If I didn't do that I wouldn't have felt right about myself. It's not good to keep things to yourself, you know."

She grimaced. Thoughts of this morning's Sociology class were beginning to cloud her thoughts again. _Stupid Adam, stupid opinions._ Still, she reminded herself to be content now, and wrapped a band around her hair to pull it into a messy bun.

"And," continued Mickie, "I feel much better for telling him. I might have to avoid him for a while but it's worth it."

Ashley emerged from the bathroom into their room and rolled her eyes. She was in one of those _I-can't-be-bothered _moods and it definitely showed. "Well I say screw men – and not in the literal sense."

"I _really_ like him, Ash. Could you please keep your opinions to yourself?"

"What, I don't have a right to them?"

"Not when it's the same one day in and day out," the brunette sighed inwardly as she collapsed onto her bed. Glancing over, she caught the annoyed expression on her friend's face. "You're never going to forgive and forget, are you?"

The blonde was caught off guard as she searched through her bag for her notepad and pen. She paused for a moment, unsure of whether she'd heard the comment correctly, and then glanced over to Mickie. She already looked guilty and it was known in that moment; the past _was_ being brought up.

"Look, I'm sorry but you weren't expecting to just bury what happened...were you? It's been a long time but I'm sure the memory is still fresh. It is for me at least."

She swallowed lightly, suddenly feeling uncomfortable. How had this little talk turned the spotlight on her anyway? "When I said I didn't want to talk about it, I meant it." She spoke quietly but firmly. "So just drop it."

"Ash, I'm—"

"I'm going for a shower." She turned to face the brunette briefly. Noting her look of sympathy, she felt a lump rise in her throat...and promptly swallowed it back down. This was no time to feel weak again. Then she closed the bathroom door behind her, and sank against the counter.

_Stop thinking about him, Ash. He's a bastard. He isn't worth your time. He doesn't deserve your attention. Just stop it. Right now._

But she couldn't. And so, with a frightening feeling in her stomach, she turned on the shower nozzle and quickly undressed. She needed to refresh herself, to wash away the memory of what seemed like just yesterday.

She had to distract herself before the memory caught up with her.

**........**

_His name was Jason. And with just one glance at him over the crowded area of the hall, she knew she wanted to get to know him a little better. Her friends had talked of him, told him how they knew him (he was a cousin of a boy who went to their school and was chaperoning the school dance on request). To say she was intrigued was a little bit of an understatement._

_Known for her rebellious side, Ashley didn't even try to deny what her intentions were._

"_But he's so much older than you." Maria had told her over the speakers, which were now blasting out old-school Britney songs. "What makes you think he'll be interested?"_

"_Yeah." Mickie, on her other side, had agreed. "I wouldn't do it if I were you. You don't know what he's like. You don't know anything about him."_

_Jason was making eyes at her from the get-go. This was obvious, she mused, by the way he was staring at her. He wanted her just as much as she wanted him._

"_Guys, come on." She'd rolled her eyes at her friends. "This dance is so boring – look, even Eve has stopped making out with that one guy to scope out others! That just proves that this evening needs a little spicing up."_

"_But what if—"_

"_Hold my drink." She ordered, pushing it into Mickie's chest. "I'm only going to talk to him. It might lead somewhere, it might not. But I want to take that chance."_

_So, taking that chance, she strode over to Jason. He was polite, well-spoken and so damn sexy. She knew it would be stupid of her not to find out more about him. And that she did, as their conversation ended a good hour later, when the school dance was just about to finish._

_With a phone number and a promise to call, Ashley went home a very happy girl._

_Soon after that evening, she went out on a couple of dates with the guy. Her parents disapproved of him which, obviously, made it easier for her to want to see him. They soon became inseperable and though they hadn't been confirmed as a couple, she was certain they were together._

_He, on the other hand, had other ideas for their "relationship"._

_It was late one Friday evening when she noticed his shift of mood. He was frustrated and tired – worn down, she suggested to herself, by the three jobs he worked to keep up with the rent. They didn't talk – another sign that he was different – when they made it to his apartment._

"_Babe, what's wrong?" She'd asked him, a soft smile on her lips. Maybe she would be able to help him with his problem and everything would return to normal. "Bad day at work?"_

_But he only turned to her, an unreadable expression on his face. "What's going on between us?" The question was abrupt._

_Taken aback, the blonde had no clue how to answer. "I, um...I thought we were together. Aren't we?"_

"_Well that's what I thought too..." He breathed out heavily, flinging his jacket over the back of the couch. "But it's been at least three months and we haven't done it yet."_

_And with good reason. She was still in high school, totally inexperienced in the art of relationships and he, as she well knew, was a grown-up man with more responsibilities than she could handle. Their differences were apparent; she'd ignored them until now._

"_I..." She stammered. This was way too personal, way too upfront. "What does that matter? I thought you liked being with me."_

"_Babe," he chuckled lightly as he moved in closer, "I do like being with you. Really, I do. But a man has his needs, you know?"_

"_Well I'm sorry," she frowned in that moment, "I'm not comfortable doing that. No matter how much I like you, I'm not ready yet."_

"_Oh, c'mon. I've been waiting for you for so long." He caressed her hand, then traced his fingers up her arm until they reached her cheek. "What is it – don't you feel safe with me?"_

_Quite to the contrary, she felt very safe with him. He was the one true person – she felt – that she could connect with. Her parents didn't understand her, her brother had better things to do than hang out with her, and her friends...well, they always looked out for themselves. Why shouldn't she do the same?_

"_You know that's not true." She uttered softly._

"_So do this for me." He whispered and leaned forward. Before she knew it, he'd pressed his lips against hers. Firmly, harshly. "Please, Ash. I want you so much."_

"_And I want you too." She said, kissing him back. It took a good push in her to get some distance between them. "But I'm __**not**__ ready."_

_She didn't know when she finally saw the change in him – the one her friends had warned her about. Perhaps it was when he glared at her, perhaps it was when he growled at her, telling her that she was ready for him. Or perhaps it was when he grabbed her arm roughly and pushed her towards the couch..._

"_Jason, no." She barely had time to protest as his body covered hers. Tears pricked her eyes, glazing her vision as her breathing became heavy with fear. "I...love you," she uttered desperately, "What are you doing?"_

"_Shut up, bitch." He ordered as he unzipped his pants._

_That evening changed her life. Even before his intentions were over, she knew that this night, this horrible and painful night, would never leave her thoughts._

**........**

Ashley was unsure whether the wet substance dripping down her face was the shower water or her own tears. What she did know, however, was that she was falling into her past with a weak resolve. She dug her nails into the wall behind her as she nudged against it; now, more than ever, she needed support from something. Anything.

_You're stronger than this_, she told herself. _You don't need to be afraid anymore._

But she was.

And yet she knew she couldn't admit this to anyone – not even Mickie, her _best friend_; the one who'd held her that evening after the story was told to the police. She couldn't say a damn thing and she knew that when she was finished with her shower, she would walk back into her room, her head held high and her stubborn attitude back in place.

That's just the way it was.

* * *

So there's the next chapter. Please review :)

Up next is **Eve's **chapter.


	17. Kiss Me Quick: Eve

The Great Escape

**AN:** Thank you to **Cena-Wilson-Crazy, RKO.I.F, RandomlyAwsomer, justbornawsome, Chain Gang Princess, CrazyWWEFreakJNH, xSomeKindaRush, xTwistedxImperfectionx, TJ Sparkles, Melissa Cristina **_& _**rory21** for reviewing the last chapter.

Thanks very muchly :)

Chapter Seventeen – Kiss Me Quick

* * *

**EVE**

* * *

Eve grimaced as she tried to settle back into her uncomfortable position against the huge oak tree behind her. She stretched out her legs again, fighting off the return of pins and needles, and gripped onto her laptop in the hope of keeping it balanced on her thighs.

Anyone who passed her must have thought she was uncomfortable but she didn't care; it was better to stay here rather than feel content at her usual table in the library. Or at least that's what she was telling herself. Truth be told, she was just running away from her problems.

"Okay," she said to herself with a decisive sigh, though the breeze swept it into a low hiss, "A two-thousand word essay on the progressive nature of..."

But she wasn't thinking about the paper she had to hand in by the end of the week.

Much to the contrary, she was obsessing over The Miz and the vulnerable expression on his face that had told her the absolute truth about their relationship. It was because of him that she was sat here – on every Tuesday, he would head up to the library for an hour's worth of study time. And usually she would join him, and the routine would end with them grabbing a quick lunch before their afternoon classes.

But not today. Today was different.

Her fingers hovered over the button pad but she eventually gave up on the pretence that she was going to concentrate and sighed again, pushing her laptop aside. She never thought she'd end up in this predicament – stuck between two wonderful guys. Was college just a grown-up version of high school? In that moment she couldn't help but to think that, yes, it was.

"Sup slacker?" Ashley greeted her suddenly, shaking her out of her thoughts. She took a seat on the ground, proudly displaying her white _I Killed the Prom Queen_ shirt and black low riders in the sun. "What are you doing here?"

"Is the same question I could ask you." Eve eyed her suspiciously. "For your information, I'm working on my coursework. This seemed like a nice spot for it."

A smirk followed this brief explanation. "You always were a bad liar. Don't you usually study in the library with that _Mizzie _guy on a Tuesday?"

"It's The Miz." She snapped, irritated at another thought of him.

"Alright, alright. Don't get your skanky panties in a twist." The older of the two rolled her eyes.

The brunette merely grumbled in response. Following that, there were a couple of minutes of silence, in which the blonde checked her phone for messages and she packed her laptop away safely. She was hardly going to get any work done now – this was a fact.

She closed her eyes for a moment, willing her thoughts to leave her alone for just a while. _What is the matter with me? Matt Hardy is all I've ever wanted. I'm in love with him and only him. Surely that means—_

"Oh look," Ashley interrupted her with a roll of the eyes, "Here comes Tweedlebitch and Tweedlebitchier."

Eve had a feeling she knew who the subjects were but glanced in the right direction anyway just for confirmation. She forced back a snort at the approaching figures and turned her head to subtlety whisper, "Which is the bitchier one?"

A whisper was returned. "I guess we'll find out after this."

She whipped her head around just in time to gaze upon two pairs of sneaker-clad feet stop before her. Glancing up – taking in all the glitter and sequins that were so eloquently placed on their outfits – she tried to hold in a groan.

"Hey girls." Michelle held a smile as she caught their attention. "What's going on?"

"Not much." Both managed to mumble with fake smiles.

"Okay, well..." She trailed off, glanced to her right to Layla, and then turned back to finish her sentence. "I just wondered if you knew where Maria was – I want to invite her to this party we're having. Of course, you girls are welcome to come too."

"Thanks," the blonde butted in before she could utter a word, "That's _so kind_ of you."

Layla appeared to catch onto her attitude and offered a smirk. "It's Ashley, isn't it?"

"Yeah."

"Thought so – Adam described you well." There was a raise of the eyebrow. "Very well."

The student held back a glare and looked away, leaving it up to Eve to hold up the conversation. While Ashley was most likely trying to work out what the Canadian had said about her, she certainly wasn't, and took advantage of the moment. "I think Maria might be with Randy. You want me to call her?"

The sneer on Michelle's face was caught, but only barely before her pinched smile returned. "No, it's okay. I'll find her later and invite her myself."

"Sure thing." She nodded. "So..." Holding back a sneer of her own, she turned to the girl's friend. "How are you, Layla?"

"Me?" There was a look of surprise on her face. "I don't know why you would care."

"Oh, I don't. I'm just making conversation." Something had taken a hold of her, and now she felt bold – daring even. "It's obvious that Michelle is feeling put out by the fact Maria spends more time with her boyfriend than she does, and you're just pissed at me because Mike showed an interest in me rather than you."

An awful silence surrounded all four girls after that.

Ashley was the first to turn – though she did it slowly – and stare in astonishment at the 'bitch' she always thought was all talk and no action. She was half-tempted to raise her hand for a worthy high-five. Instead she muttered, "Nice."

"I had no idea you felt that way," said Michelle at last, narrowing her eyes. "I'll see you around."

Layla was left on her own when her taller friend stalked away, visibly disgruntled, but she felt more confident than ever as she pointed a finger at her rival. "You," she hissed in her British accent, "don't know what you've just got yourself into. And FYI, if Mike is into you, then why did he ask me out on a date last night? I'll leave you to think about that."

The sun glared hotly on Eve's face but she was definitely doing a little glaring of her own without its help in the student's direction. She exhaled deeply as she leaned against the tree again, and ignored Ashley's look. "Shit, what did I just do?"

"You just owned their asses is what you did!" A huge grin was her answer. "I have never been prouder of you."

"Really? Because I've never been so disappointed in myself. I was so bitchy to them!"

"And this is exactly why I don't like you," said the blonde as she stood to her feet and rolled her eyes. "Okay, I'm off to find Mickie. She wants me to escort her to the cafeteria – in case Phil's there. And to think, she had a go at me for avoiding Adam. Later."

The Latina barely managed a wave as she walked away and, a beat later, blocked out all her surroundings by burying her head into her hands. This was turning out to be – despite the glorious weather – a horrible day.

"_And FYI, if Mike is into you, then why did he ask me out on a date last night? I'll leave you to think about that."_

"Oh, God," she muttered to herself.

As much as she hated to admit it, she _did_ feel something for Mike. Even if she didn't know what that something was, she was disappointed to find out that he'd settled for Layla after the weekend fiasco.

_I should have seen this coming. _She thought as she finally revealed herself and packed her things away. _It's such a predictable move._

And what if their date turned into another date? And so on? What if they became the power couple on college grounds? Would she be able to handle that – even though she was in a relationship herself?

There was just too many questions to consider.

Grimacing, she wiped down her clothes and folded her laptop under her arm. She needed some alone time before class this afternoon; her head was coming to all kinds of conclusions, and she didn't like the look of any of them.

* * *

It seemed that a twenty-minute shower was all it took for Eve to return to her normal, calm state. In fact she was beginning to wonder, as she stomped around her messy room looking for a particular outfit, why she'd made such a fuss over Mike earlier in the day.

She was, she decided, extremely happy with Matt. The words he'd told her prior to leaving had filled her thoughts and she whole-heartedly agreed: _There is nothing to worry about. We'll be just fine._ And she knew they would be. His visit over the weekend had proved just that, hadn't it? Nothing had changed between them.

Sure, she had a crush on The Miz but that was all it was; she was sure of it. It was perfectly natural to be in a relationship and have a crush on someone else. The 'feelings' she thought she had were only there because she'd been lonely in her new move to college. Again, this was acceptable behaviour as far as she was concerned.

Now her mind was clear—she was _happy_ in her relationship and Mike was nothing more than a friend. _Yes, that's right._

"Hey Maria?" She called out uncertainly from under her bed. She'd now searched the room and still couldn't find the hoodie she was looking for. "Have you seen my hoodie? You know that—"

She raised her head at the sound of footsteps from the bathroom, brushed her wet curls from out of her face and saw her best friend with the item of clothing in her hand. A blush had tickled her cheeks. "Sorry, I was going to wear it."

"Well you can if you want – I just thought that if I could find it, I would wear it. It's no trouble." She grinned. "What do you want to borrow it for?"

"It's just..." The redhead was coy as she pulled the black and pink sweater closer to her slender frame. "You know when I wore it the other day? Well Randy said...he said...that I looked really _nice_ in it. I just thought..."

_Oh no, no, no..._

"Maria, you like the guy, don't you?" There was almost a groan to her tone. She sighed as she picked up a brush and ran it quickly through her hair. "It seems like your crush is more than a crush."

Timidly, Maria shrugged. "Well _maybe._ But that doesn't mean—"

"I know what happens when you fall for a guy. You become..." She hesitated, struggling for the right word. "_Fascinated_ by them. And it usually ends in heartbreak."

The younger of the two pursed her lips. "I do know that, Eve – thank you very much. I also know that Michelle is Randy's girlfriend and I don't want to break up their relationship. They're sweet together. It's just...I can't change the way I feel about him, and I'm not going to try to."

A sudden thought of Mike popped into her mind but she quickly shook it away. "I just don't want you to get hurt. I know how vulnerable you are—"

A giggle slipped from Maria's lips as she rushed over and gave her best friend a bone-squeezing hug. "And I love you for taking care of me...but just because I'm the youngest out of all of us, it doesn't mean I can't look after myself. You have to trust me. I like Randy, but I value my relationship with Michelle more. Okay?"

"...Sure." She finally conceded.

"Thank you. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to meet her right now. She wants to invite me to a party or something. I'll see you later for dinner."

"Yep." Eve nodded but the girl was already long gone. She rolled her eyes playfully as she reminded herself to leave the mothering role to Mickie. "Okay," she muttered inaudibly, "Clothes, clothes, clothes..."

But she was to be disrupted by a knock to the door. Wondering if Maria had forgotten her key, she fought the urge to roll her eyes for a second time and stalked over. What was wrong with the girl?

"Oh." Mike sounded surprised when he turned and found her at the door. "Sorry," he apologized quickly after that.

"...For?" She questioned, furrowing her eyebrows in confusion.

"You're..uhm..." He apparently didn't have the nerve to continue and pointed down at her towel-covered wet body. "Is this a bad time?"

"Oh!" Eve caught on quickly. A blush spread across her cheeks as she pulled the fluffy, white item closer to her. "No, _I'm_ sorry about this. It's not a bad time. Come in and I'll just...uh, you know, change."

He did so and she scurried into the bathroom. It took her a minute to shove on a pair of jeans and a plain tank top, but she paused for a moment in her hurry to stare at herself in the mirror.

_Maybe if I..._

After a quick decision, she applied a little mascara and a new coat of red gloss to her full lips. She didn't even stop to think about why she'd just made herself up for him.

"So what's up?" The brunette smiled brightly as she stepped back into the room.

He attempted to smile back. "You remember those notes I gave you on Saturday? You forgot to give them back."

"Right. Of course. Just give me a sec and I'll get them for you."

A million thoughts racing through her mind, she stumbled over to her folder and opened it, searching through the various stacks of paper until she found what she was looking for.

"Here you go."

They shared a fake smile as he took them from her. "Thanks – I wouldn't have got far tomorrow if I didn't have these. Well...I'll see you then."

"Okay, bye."

But it was as if her body was calling him, and she reached out, placing a hand on his arm tenderly before she could stop herself. "No wait," she uttered as his eyes found hers again, "I don't like this between us. Things are...weird."

Instead of denying this like she expected, Mike nodded. "Yeah, they are; I don't want them to be but I've noticed it too."

"So..."

But what could she possibly say? She didn't know how to start. _Oh by the way, I have feelings for you and I think you feel the same way, but we'll just have to ignore it because I have Matt. And now you have Layla._ It sounded ridiculous.

"You never told me you had a boyfriend." He spoke through the awkward silence. She bit down on her bottom lip innocently, and he sighed. "Of course it's not something you automatically say but I just thought...never mind."

"I don't blame you, you know. Let's just say I've been thinking about you recently." She boldly admitted. "But Matt, he's—"

"Yeah."

"So I don't know what to say now." A shrug defined the lack of conversation between them. "I don't know what to say _or_ do."

"Look, let's just agree that I misunderstood the situation and we'll both move on. You'll be with Matt like you wanted and I'll be happy with Layla. We can still be friends, can't we?"

It was what she wanted more than anything, but it was hard to say. She swallowed lightly. "Um...yeah, of course. We can be friends. Yes."

"Alright then. So I suppose I'll just go now."

But things between them hadn't seemed to settle and she couldn't allow him to go. Pressing a hand against his cheek softly, she offered a sympathetic smile. "I hope you're not too upset."

He smiled against her touch. "It was a crush, nothing more. It's okay, Eve, really."

She nodded softly. It was a moment later, however, that she realized something significant: she _liked_ being close to The Miz. She couldn't deny it and her talk of him _just_ being a crush earlier seemed fake to her now.

"I'll go now." He began awkwardly as they both realized she was still embracing him.

"Okay..."

But neither made an attempt to move away.

Instead – with her heart taking over her mind – Eve leaned up on her tip-toes and pecked him on the lips. It was a surprise move as far as both were concerned, and she pulled away, stunned by what she'd just done.

"Is this you feeling sorry for me?" Mike raised an eyebrow.

"No." She shook her head fiercely and then whispered, "Not at all, actually."

Leaning in, he rested his forehead against hers for a short tender moment, and then pressed his lips softly against hers again. All sense of control left her as she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer to her. The papers were dropped as he greedily pulled her waist closer to his frame. The moment was passionate and intense – a far cry from the sweet and cutesy kisses she shared with Matt.

Mike's breathing was unsteady as a small gap was created between them. "But what about—"

His natural thought went unfinished when she kissed him again, unwilling to let him go. She didn't want to think about Matt or their relationship right now; the guilt would set in later, but she wouldn't let it right now.

She tugged at his shirt. "It doesn't matter," she breathed against him and slammed the door shut with her foot, "It just doesn't."

"Okay." He answered firmly.

And, as if this solved everything, they returned to their passionate embrace. It was only minutes later that he had his shirt off and she was underneath him on the bed, massaging her nails into his back.

She'd clearly wanted to do this for a long time. She'd certainly fantasised about it in a guilty fashion before.

"I really like you, Eve." He whispered into the crook of her shoulder.

Eve didn't say anything – she wouldn't allow herself to. If she did, her thoughts would return to Matt and how bad of a thing this moment was.

So she kissed him again.

* * *

So there's the next chapter. Please review :)

Up next is **Maria's **chapter.

BTW, I have a new poll on my page and I'd appreciate if you took the time out to vote :)


	18. Boyfriend Stealer?: Maria

The Great Escape

**AN:** Thank you to **CrazyWWEFreakJNH, xTwistedxImperfectionx, HappySmiler, Chain Gang Princess, RKO.I.F, xHalosandwings, Cena-Wilson-Crazy, justbornawsome, VolcomStoneBabe, Melissa Cristina **_&_ **TJ Sparkles** for reviewing the last chapter.

Thanks very muchly :)

Chapter Eighteen – Boyfriend Stealer?

* * *

**MARIA**

* * *

The promise of Halloween was around the corner and the students on campus, despite pretending to act mature about it, were looking forward to the national day. Decorations were already being placed in the halls and dorms, an obeying glittery array of black and orange, to remind everyone of the excitement of it all; it was impossible to ignore October 31st, where everyone who was anyone was planning out their costumes – and the small size of them – depending on which party they intended on going to.

Amongst the throng of chatty students was Maria, who quite literally had a spring in her step as she shuffled through the crowd, trying to make it back to her dorm in a faster pace than the relaxed walking going on around her.

Halloween had always been a special time for her—ever since she was six and managed, in her pretty-in-pink ballerina costume, to be the only child of her Trick-and-Treaters group to walk up a long path and collect candy from a 'haunted' house. She looked back on that day admiringly, and liked to think it was then that her confidence kicked in.

And now here she was many years later, channelling her inner child with the excited grin on her red-painted lips.

When she finally reached her room, flushed in hot red, she was surprised to find two more people than Eve there. She smiled politely at Mike, who looked particularly uncomfortable for some reason, and then turned to Randy. Her lips predictably curved more and his contagious half-smirk was offered in return.

"They arrived about two minutes after you left," explained Eve, who was dressed in casual jeans and a silver slip dress. She'd clearly been halfway through changing into her costume before the interruption. "Why did it take you so long to collect your outfit?"

"Oh, it took forever for me to find my student ID card and then I realized it was in my jacket pocket rather than my purse...and then, yeah..."

Randy chuckled as she trailed off. "I can just imagine the chaos you caused."

"Mhm." She agreed enthusiastically. "But anyway, here it is!" The black clothing bag she held up a beat later revealed nothing of her attire, but she still squealed excitedly anyway. "I'm so excited for the party – is it wrong of me to act like a little kid when I'm a college student?"

"It's cute. I just hope you're not dressing up as the same character as Michelle; every year she has this thing...and OCD issue if you will...and she hates when someone has the same costume as her."

"Probably doesn't care for the spotlight being taken away from her." Eve, midway through adjusting her dress, with The Miz averting his gaze to anybody but her, looked to find the other two staring back at her. "Look, I'm sorry but I really don't like your girlfriend."

"That's cool – not everyone gets along." He shrugged. "Michelle's...different; mature-like and it isn't easy for two personalities to—"

"Yeah, I appreciate that you're sticking up for her. It's sweet. But I just think that she's a manipulative bitch."

Smiling nervously, Maria attempted to push the conversation back towards the party, and made a mental note to talk to Eve later in the meanwhile. There was something going on with her best friend and she wanted to know what; to act so cranky and disloyal meant that, whatever the issue was, it was big.

"So who are you going to dress as for tonight?" Both guys mumbled nothing in-particular and she rolled her eyes playfully. "I guess I'll just have to wait and see. Gosh, lazy much?"

"Hey, just because we don't spend every day checking our outfits in the mirror..."

At Randy's smirk, she stuck her tongue out playfully. "Whatever. I—"

But she was then interrupted, as a familiar rap of knocks made contact to the already open door, and Jeff slipped into the room. He offered a friendly wave to everyone by way of greeting but was caught off-guard by a bone-crushing hug a moment later.

Maria was giddy as she wrapped her arms around his waist tightly, fitting perfectly into his leaner frame and breathing in his familiar scent. "Hey Jeff! You'll never guess what I'm going to the party as tonight..."

"Cannot...breathe..." She loosened her grip, apologizing profusely, and he let out a sigh of relief. "And as long as it's not the same costume as last year, I don't mind."

"Just because I made you shriek girlishly in front of your friends."

"And thanks for telling—" Pausing mid-sentence, he pulled the redhead in closer and whispered into her ear, "Can I talk to you in the hallway for a quick sec?"

Surprised, she nodded and made her excuses to everyone else. Her friend looked a little distressed by the time she reached him, and she folded her arms in concern.

Jeff grabbed at the chance to speak first and got straight to the point. "Randy thinks there's something going on between us – and he's jealous of that."

For a moment all she could do was blink – the nature of this sudden statement was simply absurd; there had been rumours about their friendship, yes, but none of the sort that involved her crush.

"Don't be ridiculous. You're crazy."

"I'm really not. The second you hugged me, I saw him glare; it was only for a second but it was definitely there."

"You're a very artistic person, Jeff," she clutched at his cheeks with warm hands, "but there is no way that happened. He has a girlfriend, Michelle."

"Please don't tell me—" He started, only to pause to remove her hands from his face. She was terribly touchy-feely when she wanted to be. But then again, that was part of her charm. "—that I'm the only one who sees the lack of...well, anything between them. They're horrible together."

"I respect your opinion but I don't agree – they're adorable! And maybe you're just seeing this; we're just friends, also."

"Yes, everyone who knows us knows about our friendship, but other people have asked if we've got a thing for each other, even though they're aware of my relationship with Candice."

She twisted her lips in contemplation for a moment. "Really?"

He chuckled in response. "You really are naive, aren't you? And I'm not just 'seeing this'. It's not a trick of the mind – Randy _is_ jealous."

A feeling, unstoppable and much like joy, tingled in her stomach as she imagined a look of bitter jealousy on the dark-haired guy's handsome features. The image was strong in her mind yet sensitive, and she savoured the moment guiltily.

But it was half a minute later that she straightened out, rolling her eyes at her friend. "Well," she looked to end their conversation, "I don't believe you. Now, please, can we go back in and think about the party tonight? I know it's going to be amazing."

"Sure." He smiled weakly but grabbed her hand at the last minute, pulling her back to him. "Just please...look out for signs, would you? You don't seem to know when you're in trouble and I don't want to see you get hurt."

Annoyed by everyone's advice to her but touched by his concern, Maria nodded. "Of course."

As he was dragged back into her dorm room, Jeff took into account the other three profiles; Randy did indeed cast a wary glance at his hand in Maria's, Mike was strangely quiet and Eve seemed unusually moody for her character.

It seemed everybody had a secret that only he could see and his poor, poor red-headed friend was oblivious to all of this.

* * *

Popular party tunes infiltrated the frat house, reminding the four girls of their very first outing as college students. It seemed like such a long time ago since that day but every dramatic detail of it was being dragged up, and then promptly blocked out.

Tonight was going to be a fun night.

Ashley, for one, laughed to herself as she led the way into the busy – but less crowded – kitchen from the party room. For a change the blonde had made an effort with her appearance and added a gruesome twist to the playboy bunny look; blood, fake of course, trickled down her revealing bra-and-panties ensemble while straightened honey locks cascaded perfectly down her back. Her make-up was, to no surprise to her friends, heavily gothic, with dark eye-liner and lipstick.

"Check out all the guys eyeing you up tonight." Mickie nudged her lightly, wearing a smile of her own as she grabbed another drink for herself. "You're a hit."

"Mhm." Eve, who was chewing on her fake teeth, nodded. "I'd totally go lesbian for you."

"...Great." Ashley remarked, somewhat freaked out by the comment. "But no way is any guy getting my attention tonight—Halloween is my favourite time of year and it's not going to be ruined."

Her best friend rolled her eyes at this. Unlike the corpse bunny beside her, the brunette had covered up a little more with black hot pants and a plain white tank top. Her hair was tied in a long loose plait and two fake toy guns were held tightly in her hands, giving off that Lara Croft vibe.

Eve, having read a little too much of the Twilight series recently, looked sexy as a vampire. She'd used a tonne of white body paint – generously donated by Jeff – to perfect her dark look, but a shimmery silver slip dress, the one she had tried on earlier, brought out the party girl in her.

"I hear," Maria grinned as she leaned against a counter, "that Adam came dressed as a pimp. In some strange way, you guys match."

Ashley offered a glare. "I need alcohol. Anyone want to join me?"

"I will," said Eve all too willingly. "That idea sounds good right about now."

The two paired off and weaved through the crowd, leaving Maria to toss her vibrant curls behind her and glance in Mickie's direction. They certainly looked like an odd couple – she, designed as an innocent (yet somewhat slutty) angel complete with halo, standing beside Lara Croft.

She looked down at her fluffy, white slippers briefly. "I hope my feet don't get stepped on tonight."

"Mhm, me either," replied the video game hero but she wasn't even looking in the right direction. "That would be a shame."

Sensing something odd, she gazed at her friend again and found herself following _her_ gaze a moment later. Her eyes came to rest on a familiar figure, who was slouching over in the corner with Jeff. "So what's going on with you and Phil anyway? Ash told me you broke up with him or something."

"I suppose you could say that. Although," she shrugged sadly, "we weren't really together so..."

As her friend trailed off, she quickly picked up the pace of conversation. She felt rather sorry for the petite girl, who looked full of longing as she stared at her ex-boyfriend. "Of course you were together – it was obvious to practically everyone. So c'mon, tell me why you're not anymore."

"I just..." Finally, Mickie turned, picking at her half-full plastic cup. Her brown eyes were sensitive, as were her hushed tones. "I don't know anything about him. And it's fine to have fun with someone else – or at least start off that way – but that's not me. It's not who I am. I like to know the person who I'm dating before anything serious happens."

"You guys were serious?"

"No, but I wanted to be. I started wondering whether he was on the same wavelength as me...and that's when it hit me; I really don't know much about the guy."

"So you broke up with him?"

Another shrug lifted Mickie's shoulders. "It seemed like the logical idea at the time. But I never thought I'd be this hurt over the decision—I don't usually spend much time obsessing over guys and now here I am, acting pathetically."

"Oh stop," smiled Maria softly as she glanced around, spotting Layla and the French girl, Maryse, who Michelle used to share a room with. Her attention re-focused on the issue at hand. "This is not acting pathetically – acting pathetically would be to recite everything he ever told you and convince yourself that it was your fault that you're not together anymore. Remember when _I _did that? Pretty desperate times, I must say."

"Yes but this time it is my fault." An interruption was coming but the brunette cut her off swiftly, holding up a hand. "It's okay, Maria. I just need some time to myself for now. Thanks for the talk anyway; I love you for caring, girly."

The redhead was a little miffed in herself as she watched her friend stumble away; it hurt to know that there was little she could do to help shake her out of this light depression. A sunny atmosphere, as far as she was concerned, was always the best atmosphere and there was _always _a silver lining to be considered...

But apparently not tonight, not for Mickie James.

"Didn't anyone tell you, Maria? You were supposed to turn up in a costume." A familiar voice whispered into her ear, tickling her sensations ever so softly. "The only thing that's different about you now is the halo. Funny how I hadn't spotted it hovering over your head before."

She barely had time to register the compliment as Randy moved around, lightly brushing his hand around her waist as he did so. Her cheeks were a pinched red and, unfortunately, a gesture she couldn't hide from him.

"Seriously, you look beautiful." He continued when she failed to return a comment of her own. His smirk widened that little bit more. "And what do you think of mine?"

"You're, uh..." She found her voice at last, and then glanced up and down his body in utter confusion. "You're dressed like you normally would be."

"As are half the guys here." The student chuckled, leaning against the counter behind him. "I'm not that much of a Halloween supporter to be honest with you."

"Oh, I love it!" Maria's eyes widened with excitement as she joined him, suddenly aware of the small gap between their arms. She felt his warmth beside her and tried with all her might not to do anything about it. "Ever since I was a little girl—"

"—dressed as a ballerina, and you walked up to a supposedly haunted house. I know, Maria, you told me a while ago." At her look of surprise, he settled for a smile. "I've remembered everything you've told me since the first time we met. You've got quite a mouth on you, you know that?"

By now, she felt herself go weak at the knees and, if it were physically possible, melt into a puddle of goo at his very feet. He was a handsome young guy – as her mother would probably say – but in this very moment, with his romantic words, he was downright sexy.

"So," she cleared her throat, "Where's Michelle?" It was probably better to stick to the subject of his girlfriend – and her friend – rather than trust her own thoughts.

"Oh, she's gone back to her room. Some other girl was dressed as a devil, just like her, and apparently this was unacceptable." He told her matter-of-factly, and she could have sworn to have seen him roll his eyes a moment later. "She's in a mood now."

"Shouldn't you go and comfort her then? This isn't very boyfriend-like of you."

"Trust me when I say it's better if I stay here. I know when to leave her alone, especially if she's in a mood...besides," he brightened quickly, "now I get to stay here with an angel. Does it get any better than that?"

She didn't trust herself to reply, fearing that a flirty reply would be given, and only smiled politely as she pretended to look around the room. Jeff caught her attention for a brief moment, reminding her of their conversation earlier that day, but she quickly shook her head and turned back to the main attraction.

"Look. I hope you don't mind me asking," began Randy hesitantly and she gave him her undivided attention, "But is something going on with you and Jeff?"

At once, she widened her eyes. "God, no! He's with Candice. Didn't you know?"

"Well yes, I remembered that from when you introduced him..."

...

"_So this is Jeff." She practically shoved him into the circle of students. "He's my best friend's boyfriend's brother."_

_Randy raised an eyebrow. "Uh...wow, but hey, nice to meet you man."_

...

"...But even then, I had my suspicions about you. Forgive me for thinking you would have an affair, especially when Candice is a close friend of yours, but—"

Quite frankly, Maria was upset with him, and chose to move away from his words. She nodded mutely at his explanation but didn't really take it in – instead she was thinking about how many other people had this exact same opinion of her.

The idea was horrible.

"I'm really not a boyfriend stealer," she blurted out, disrupting him, "Jeff is one of my closest friends and I'd never do that. We're just friends. And sure, I might have a little bit of a crush on you but that doesn't mean I'd do anything about it. I mean, Michelle is one of my dear friends and I really like her. You guys are cute together too. And you've been together since—"

"Wait," he cut her off softly, and stared down at her worried face intently, "You have feelings for me?"

Realizing that her thoughts had been processed into words to be said out loud, she clapped a hand over her mouth, her eyes widening now more than ever. _Oh God, what have I done?_

His expression didn't give anything away – he was still staring at her with an intent look, waiting for her to answer.

The fear of being rejected, of being told they couldn't be friends anymore, was too much to bear and she pulled a Mickie James, running off at the speed of light.

* * *

So there's the next chapter. Please review :)

Up next is **Mickie's** chapter.


	19. It's Your Choice: Mickie

The Great Escape

**AN: **Thank you to **RKO.I.F, CrazyWWEFreakJNH, Cena-Wilson-Crazy, TJ Sparkles, xHalosandwings, HappySmiler, xSomeKindaRush, Chain Gang Princess, xTwistedxImperfectionx, Melissa Cristina **_&_ **Ashleymassarophan1 **for reviewing the last chapter.

Thanks very muchly :)

Chapter Nineteen – It's Your Choice

* * *

**MICKIE**

**

* * *

**The chill of the November weather hit Mickie sharply as she turned the street corner, and with a shudder she pulled her winter jacket closer around her petite frame, thankful for having thought to wear it this morning.

She clung onto the phone that was clamped to her ear, as if worried she would lose it to the gusty breeze fighting against her, and tried to stay focused on the conversation despite her beautiful surroundings. Even if the cold was horrible the grounds outside the college were not.

Admiring the winter trees briefly, she was only half-listening when Ashley announced an important piece of information. _"So yeah, I know Christmas is a month away but I've already decided that I'm going to stay here instead of go home. They allow for accommodating. I mean, it's so much easier to deal with work...and it would be absolute chaos at home, you know? I just—"_

But the brunette didn't fall for those excuses; she hadn't the first time her friend had wanted to stay away from her family, and she wasn't going to believe it now. This repetitive attitude, however, was more of a concern. "So what, are you going to avoid Christmas altogether? It'd be like not taking a break—and you definitely need one."

"_Oh stop worrying about me. I feel happy in myself for the choice so why shouldn't I stay here? Give me one good reason."_

She felt she could give several, the main being that she would be further isolating her stubborn self from her relations; more recently she'd received phone calls from Ashley's parents just to see how she was and how she was coping, which gave evidence that no such calls to home had been made.

Naturally, being a worrier, Mickie bit down on her bottom lip. "I'm sure Ronny wants to see you. It's not every day that you get to see your bro now, is it? And it'll feel weird if I wake up on Christmas day and don't find you stumbling into my room, half-asleep, with my present."

"_Oh."_ A giggle slipped through the blonde's lips. _"I see what this is about."_

"You do?" She queried as she spotted the grocery store up ahead and moved quickly against the chill. "Because I really don't think you do."

"_You just want your present from me, don't you? That's it. Well no worries, Micks, because I'll be sure to give it to you before you leave."_

Did she seriously think that this was what she was complaining about? Or was it a clever plan to throw her off the scent of the subject? Either way, she felt glum for the way things hadn't changed in her best friend's mood.

She couldn't help the sympathy in her reply. "It would be nice to have a driving buddy for the journey back."

"_What are you talking about? You'll have Eve and Maria—granted they're not as awesome as me, especially Miss. Party Queen, but still. You'll be fine."_

"I know I'll be fine." She answered.

It was a real struggle not to add "But I don't think you will be", but she managed to keep it in her head anyway. This time, at least. Her caring side was becoming a little more desperate in its attempt to be revealed and she could tell her patience was wearing thin when it came to these issues; she only hoped she could restrain herself from speaking the utter truth and hurting her friend's feelings.

"_Exactly. So stop complaining already."_

"Okay I will." The sigh that followed suggested otherwise but neither dwelled on it. "What is it that you want again? I'm here."

The bell just above the shop door tinkled as she pushed it open, and she stepped inside, grateful to be out of the cold weather. Despite its small size, _Metley's _was a cosy store, and an insignificant smile was brought to her face as she glanced around the colourful place.

"_Just a pack of batteries for my speakers please. It's hard to believe I've listened to so much music that I've worn out the device isn't it?"_

"Not at all. It's what I'd expect of you, Ash. Batteries it is."

After hanging up, she flipped her brunette hair back, shaking out her tangled curls, and started on her way up the first aisle. She had a million thoughts to consider as her eyes quickly scanned over the neatly-stacked products—so much so that she completely blocked out her surroundings and forgot about the few people scattered around her.

Lately it seemed like her friends all had a problem, and as the mother figure of the group, of course she cared about them.

Maria, though as friendly and bubbly as ever, seemed to be forcing those characteristics out of her personality. She'd worn the same fake smile for at least a week and it was rather unnerving, to tell the truth. Something was definitely bothering the redhead and she couldn't tell what it was.

Unlike Ashley, who was ignoring her problems altogether, Eve had no issue in displaying hers. She was openly hostile towards Mike—the poor guy—and showed no reason for being so. The Latina was also unpleasant to Michelle and Layla, and though this wasn't too bad given the people, it was still unlike her to be such a bitch. Something _definitely_ needed to be done about that mood.

With all this to look into, Mickie felt that her trouble with Phil wasn't as important—though it didn't stop her from thinking about him nonetheless. He was just someone she couldn't erase from her thoughts.

Her fingers trailed lazily across the products but came to a stop when she came across an impressive selection of batteries. She selected the size that was needed, pleased in herself that she'd found an item on her list without effort, and set about trying to find the other ten things or so.

It was almost twenty minutes later that she stumbled up to the checkout point and dropped—to her relief—the large quantity of useless stuff that had been hurting her arms down onto the conveyer belt. Not allowing herself to rest for even a second, she delved into her bag, hoping to find her purse in there somewhere.

"You know," came an amused tone of voice in the middle of her search. "We do have baskets at the entrance. You could have picked one up."

Somewhat frustrated, perhaps due to her lack of energy, she looked up and shot a pathetic glare in the cashier's direction. He looked oddly familiar for a moment but she soon shook the feeling away; there were hundreds of young, attractive guys around here. "I didn't expect to get so much."

"Customers rarely do—it's funny how you always end up with more than you intended to get, huh?"

"Hilarious." She deadpanned at the very moment she felt her nails curve around her purse. With a sigh of relief she looked back down again, giving a muffled remark to the annoying person in front of her. "I'm not so stupid that I'd intentionally ignore the baskets and carry everything myself."

"Oh I know. If there's something you're not, Mickie James, it's stupid."

Her head snapped up immediately, and her curls came to frame her face a moment later. "How do you know my name?"

The blonde-ish guy shrugged nonchalantly, truly enjoying himself, and began to scan her purchases. "I've seen you around..."

"Where?" Her eyes narrowed considerably. "Because I'm fairly sure I don't know you. At least I don't think so. You _do_ look kind of familiar though." She admitted.

He allowed her to ramble incessantly until he'd packed everything away for her and then finally glanced at her again, giving the silent gesture for her to stop talking. When she did so, he smiled. "You really don't know? You thrashed me in your one of our debate classes; beforehand you said you were so nervous you could—"

"Throw up with worry." She hurriedly finished for him as the light bulb in her mind flickered to on. "Oh my God, yes I remember you! Sorry about that by the way."

"No need to apologize, you were the better person. I was seriously impressed."

Under his smile, she blushed. "That's kind of you, thanks."

"Sure. That'll be $15.86," said the cashier, smiling as a polite employee of Metley's would when she handed him the money and he gave back her change. "We usually offer a choice of black or purple carrier bags—I hope you don't mind but I gave you purple. You seem to wear the colour a lot so I'm guessing it's one of your favourites."

"It is—my absolute favourite actually. But why would it matter about the colour of a carrier bag?"

"You'd be surprised how many college girls wander in here to purchase something and then complain that, although black goes with everything, a black bag simply won't do for her outfit."

"I can imagine the type." Mickie nodded, thinking of Michelle in an instant. "Well thanks. I'd better get back now. My roommate, Ash, is desperate for these batteries."

"Sure. It was nice talking to you."

"Likewise." She smiled and picked up her belongings. After making sure she had a tight grip on them, she smiled again. "Bye."

"See ya."

She made it halfway towards the exit before she decided to stop and turn back. There was something niggling at her and she couldn't leave until she'd sorted it out. "Hi, sorry to bother you again..."

The guy didn't look too bothered, however; he rather seemed like he was expecting her reappearance again. "Yes?"

"I'm sorry, I forgot to ask something. What's your name?"

A chuckle escaped his lips before he settled to give her an answer. "I'm Ted, Ted DiBiase."

* * *

For Mickie, the rest of the day was spent in the library studying for a mock test she would have to face sometime in the next two weeks. She was intent on passing it, even if it was only to see how she was progressing in class. Her work was very important to her and with the amount of time she spent worrying about Phil, she felt like making up for it now was a great idea.

Maria, who sat beside her with her own project, felt the very same way. The redhead was hunched over at their table, her eyes focused on the page in front of her and her lips twisted in thought. She, too, was trying to dedicate herself to being a hard worker today.

It was simply a shame that both had other people on their minds and weren't playing the parts they worked so hard to achieve in their outside appearance.

Giving in to her primary thoughts, the brunette of the two tapped her pen on the desk and glanced over to her friend cautiously. "Hey Maria?"

"Yep?" Grateful for the distraction, the young girl returned the gaze. "What's on your mind?" She asked upon seeing her expression.

"Okay." A weary sigh passed through her lips. "I know I should be totally focused on this paper but I just can't get Phil out of my head. It's pathetic of me, I know, but I can't help it. What am I supposed to do?"

"Well personally I think you should talk to him. If the issue is still bothering you so much then it's obvious you still have things to discuss."

She couldn't help but to notice the distant look on Maria's face and furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. Wait, was this why she had been acting so strange all week? Was there a guy—Randy, she assumed—on her mind right now?

"Hey, what's going on with you?" She asked softly.

"Oh, don't worry about me," smiled the bubbly girl and pushed her problems aside. "It's a minor issue—I just haven't seen Randy for a while, that's all."

"Don't you have classes together?"

"Yes...but basically, I've been avoiding him. Kind of like how you are with Phil." A shrug lifted the mood. "But that's a story for another day, eh?"

Mickie didn't think to push the issue; it was clear that, despite being upset over the situation, Maria didn't want to talk about whatever was going on. So she allowed thoughts of her guy to speak for themselves. "I don't know what I would say to him if I did though. I mean, I broke up with the guy and practically ran away from him afterwards. He's called me, you know...texted me the occasional time. I haven't replied."

"You see? This is avoiding the issue and you really need to deal with it. We've all got our problems but they're sorted out when you go through them." The student looked elsewhere for a moment before re-focusing on the conversation. "Oh and hey...it seems like you've got that opportunity now."

"What do you mean?"

Though the question was asked, she had a sinking feeling she knew exactly what was being insinuated and so she followed her gaze over to the corner where, predictably enough, her ex-boyfriend stood. He looked concentrated on the aisle of books, looking for something in-particular, and therefore probably didn't see her gaping at him with fear. For this, she was grateful.

"Go on," urged Maria a moment later, almost pushing her to her feet. "Trust me on this. After you've talked to him and said what's needed to be said you'll feel much better in yourself."

She doubted this but under that very impression, she put one foot in front of the other and began on her way over to the guy. This would take a lot of effort and bravery on her part, but she had to know where she stood in their relationship—even if it was she who messed things up for the both of them.

She stopped in front of Phil, briefly running a hand through her curls when he failed to notice her sudden presence. "Hey," she spoke up, and then regretted doing so; not just for the nerves running through her body, but for the way this was reflected in her voice.

He acted differently towards her. There wasn't that half-smirk on his face that she'd come to really like as he turned to her; instead, he simply stared at her, as if expecting her to say something significant to him. "Yes?"

"Um..." Was there any point in trying to have a normal chat with him? No, she didn't think so, but she wasn't allowing herself to believe this. "So how are you?"

"I was feeling good before you came along." He answered with a sarcastic smile and leaned against the bookcase. His full attention, unnervingly enough, was on her now. "Why are you pretending like we can actually talk like this, like I like you enough right now to talk to you?"

She swallowed lightly. In the circumstances he wasn't being impolite at all, but she felt her defence mechanism fire up to protect her. "You don't even like me anymore?" She demanded.

"Give me a reason why I should." Phil shrugged, and raised an eyebrow as she opened her mouth, only to promptly close it again. "Exactly. You and me had a good thing going and then you, for no reason I can understand, just ended things. How am I supposed to feel?"

"I had my doubts about us, is all."

"Doubts that you didn't tell me about." He pointed out matter-of-factly. "What was such a big deal that you had to avoid me altogether? I'm not gonna lie, Mickie, I didn't like you for cutting me out of your life like that."

"What? I haven't cut you out of my life at all."

"It sure feels that way. I called, I left you messages—you didn't return any of them." There was a moment or two of silence before he shook his head, standing upright again. "You know what? Forget about this. I thought I liked you, but I don't know what to think anymore. All I know is that I can't take looking at you right now."

These words stung.

He was the first guy she'd truly liked and found herself interested in, and now he didn't like her anymore. Perhaps that was how he felt when she broke things off, she realized.

And suddenly she knew the full extent of what she had done.

"Wait!" She exclaimed in panic as he went to walk past her, and pressed her hand against his arm firmly to stop him from leaving. As his eyes turned on her again, she knew she couldn't allow her inner thoughts to take control of her and stop her from speaking the truth. "Phil, I had my doubts about us because I really don't know you that well. You were my first proper...well, boyfriend I suppose. I really liked—_like_—you but it's strange to be with someone you know so little about."

"This..." He trailed off for a moment. A beat later, he chuckled bitterly to himself. "This is why you broke up with me and suddenly started avoiding me?"

"Pretty much, yes."

"Mickie," he called her name and moved her hand away to place his own on her shoulders. He looked at her deeply and so intimately that she had to force herself not to look away under the weight of it. "You _learn_ these things when you're in a relationship. You don't think when people get together it's because they know absolutely everything about each other, do you? Because honestly, where's the fun in that?"

She considered this for a moment. "But—"

He cut her off. "Listen to me. I liked you despite not knowing a lot about you. You amuse me and you have a way of making me want to be close to you. If I'm like that with someone I barely know, you should take it as a good thing." He could see the sadness in her expression and placed his hands back to his side. "But since you're so insecure...I'm going to leave you with this. This is _your_ choice. If you want to be with me, let me know. Because I like you, Mickie James. I really do. But I'm not waiting around for you."

* * *

So there's the next chapter. Please review :)

Up next is **the girl's **chapter.


	20. Playing Dirty

The Great Escape

**AN: **Thank you to **xHalosandwings, HappySmiler, xTwistedxImperfectionx, RKO.I.F, Chain Gang Princess, justbornawsome, Cena-Wilson-Crazy, Katie2007, xSomeKindaRush, Boo, TJ Sparkles **_& _**Ashleymassarophan1 **for reviewing the last chapter.

Thanks very muchly :)

Chapter Twenty – Playing Dirty

* * *

**THE GIRLS**

* * *

Eve knew it must have seemed odd for her friends to find her willingly spending time with Ashley when in all actuality they were polar opposites and couldn't stand to be around each other, even on the best of the days. It had been just yesterday, in fact, that she'd made a complaint to Maria and trashed the girl's depressing selection of music, claiming that she would leave the room if she ever heard it again.

Yet here she was, sitting comfortably on a huge sweep of grass that covered the college grounds and indulging herself in the weepy sound of _Radiohead, _which was proudly playing from the laptop beside her.

"They're so...deep. Like, their lyrics are...wow."

The blonde raised an eyebrow at the girl, turning away from iTunes long enough to give her full attention. "Are you stoned?"

"What? No!" Indignant in her response, she sat a little more upright and straightened out her clothes, as if trying to prove that she wasn't under the influence in the slightest. "I've just never taken the time to listen to lyrics properly. They can be very clever."

"Any written words would seem clever to you after dumbing yourself down with the likes of _Lady GaGa_ and _Britney Spears_."

"You know, just because someone likes a different genre of music to you it doesn't mean their taste is bad."

"..._I wanna take a ride on your disco stick._ Mhm, okay then." The elder of the two gave a sarcastic snort and turned back to the screen, turning down the volume a little as she began the search for her headphones. "The difference between me and you, Eve, is that I know good music."

"Ugh, whatever. You're so stubborn, you know that?"

"Did you ever think that you're just more of a pushover than you thought when it comes to having opinions?"

"Definitely not."

A comfortable silence settled between the girls a moment later and both went back to doing their own thing. For Ashley this meant finding her headphones so she could continue working on her coursework—and for her, it meant staring back out at the view and enjoying the sight of scattered students walking around her.

It was nice for once not to be questioned or asked how she was feeling every so often, and she savoured the moment. Maria and Mickie had been worried about her mood recently but at least with the blonde she knew one solid thing: Ashley didn't care about her troubles at all.

And right now that was all she needed.

And so what if she'd been acting a little bitchy this week, her mind silently protested against the other two and their probing questions. She was perfectly entitled to behave this way considering the situation. The situation being, having failed to tell anyone else about it, between herself and the ever-ubiquitous Mike Mizanin.

At yet another thought of him the girl grimaced, pulling her knees up to her chest and tucking her arms around them tightly. She rested her head and was grateful to feel a little content as she glanced over at Ashley again. Would it be such a hassle to confide in her about her problems?

Having previously thought to keep her mouth shut on the matter, she was definitely re-thinking her strategy now.

"Hey," said the brunette suddenly, just as she was about to put her ear buds in and ignore the world completely. "If you don't mind...Can I talk to you about something?"

"I suppose so."

Though there was no enthusiasm in her tone, she settled for the answer given and breathed in deeply. She was about to confide in the one person she'd never have dared to before, after all. "So basically—"

It was simply unfortunate that she was to be interrupted, as Adam Copeland made his grand appearance, and her nerve did the exact opposite. Both glanced up at the guy—one with more than a glare than the other—and waited for him to say whatever he felt he had to.

"Ladies," he greeted, though he was only looking at Eve when he spoke. His familiar smirk wasn't there as he continued, "I just saw Mickie—she said she was going for a walk or something. She looked upset."

"Yeah." She sat a little more upright and smiled sadly. "You know about her and Phil, right? Well he basically told her to make up her mind about him and decide whether they were going to be a couple or not. Said he wasn't going to wait around for her."

"He's obviously a smart guy."

Though Eve shook her head in protest, the girl beside her, who was unable to hold the pretence that she was focusing on her laptop rather than the conversation for any longer, retaliated with a much stronger reaction. "God, you're such a jerk! My best friend is in bits because of him and you're basically patting him on the back? That's so wrong."

He turned to her, a look of mild amusement on his features and a smile threatening to curve his lips and ruin her day. "What's this? Ashley, I didn't know you actually cared about other people."

She fixed him with the special look she liked to reserve just for him. "There's an awful lot you don't know about me. In fact, you don't know me at all."

"You keep telling yourself that." The Canadian chuckled and carried on talking before she could get a word in edgeways. "All I'm saying," he turned back to Eve and shrugged his shoulders. "Is that he's smart in the sense that he knows not to be taken for a ride. There's only so long a guy can wait before he gives up, knowing he'll never get what he truly wants."

The blonde stared at him, trying to decipher what her argument would be against this, and then realized she didn't have one. Unfortunately, there was truth in his opinion that she simply couldn't argue with.

Eve waved him off a minute later when he claimed to have to be somewhere else. "Poor Mickie...but he is right."

Ashley, feeling sulky for no reason, stuffed her headphones into her ears and muttered under her breath, "Jerk."

* * *

Mickie knew her mood was giving her away to Maria; it was seen every time she attempted to smile in response or give an enthusiastic remark to the conversation they were idly having. Her interest just wasn't there and it showed severely.

With a sad smile, the redhead stopped talking about her fashion plans and wrapped an arm around her friend's shoulders, hoping that the support would be enough to get her to open up. "Micks, I don't like to see you this way."

"Well believe me," started the student, somewhat surprised that the topic had been dropped so suddenly. "I don't like to feel this way. How can guys be so demanding? If they're not complicating your lives, you're the one thinking about them until you're sure it's not healthy anymore."

"Welcome to the world of relationships." Another smile was offered, but it wavered a little upon speaking again. "Sometimes feelings are unwanted but there's little you can do about them. They're there whether you like it or not."

The event of the Halloween party had finally been told to the girls, and Mickie stared at her thoughtfully as she familiarized herself with the details again. She and Maria weren't so different when it came to members of the opposite sex—while her bubbly counterpart had no problem being friendly with them, she wasn't bothered about interaction. The catch was that both weren't aware of how to deal with relationship problems when faced with them unexpectedly.

"So..." She started again, determined to get the thought of Phil out of her head. "What are you going to do about Randy? One of us has got to know what we're doing."

"What can I do? I mean, really, he's with Michelle and they're so perfect together. Don't you think so? I'm not selfish enough to make him look at me and reconsider how he feels about her." A soft smile curved her lips a beat later. "Besides, I think he only sees me as a friend. I've accepted that."

"But what if he doesn't?"

"Sorry?"

"You know...what if he _doesn't _just see you as a friend?" The brunette prompted. At the romantic scene forming in her mind, she allowed a smile for the first time that morning. "What if Randy does like you but is stuck in his relationship with Michelle? I've seen you two together—it's like you're made for each other."

"I'd love to agree but I can't. It's upsetting when feelings are unrequited but he's happy with her, and I'm happy for both of them. I'd hate to come in-between such a lovely bond between two people, you know? It's not my place to."

"Sweet ol' Maria, always thinking of others before yourself. It's admirable really."

The girl held her smile in place as they glanced around and took in their surroundings. Maria, attempting to distract herself with the sight, simply couldn't release the pang of loneliness she felt in her chest as she thought of Randy. For the first time in her life, she actually felt depressed about telling herself to let him go and move on with her feelings. The sense was so strong it confused her; what was she supposed to do with herself now?

"Oh, it's him." The mumble that slipped through her friend's lips led her back into the real world and she stared down at her, her eyebrows furrowing together at the sight she was presented with. There was now a gentler smile on Mickie's face as she returned the eye contact. "Would you mind if I caught up with you later?"

"No, of course not. I said I'd go and see Jeff and Candice anyway. I'll speak to you later."

"Yep," muttered the brunette, but she'd already started on her way over to the person she had spotted a moment before.

Ted DiBiase looked, if she were to admit it to herself, rather hot as he slipped out of the gym doors, glugging greedily from his water bottle and wiping his free hand on his sweaty chest. He'd clearly just been through a demanding workout and was only now freeing himself of the torture; Mickie approved before her mind could tell her off for doing so.

"Hi!" She greeted him a little too enthusiastically and had to hide her smile when he jumped, a flash of fear shooting across his features as he turned to her. "Erm, sorry."

Her sheepish apology had him smiling and he nodded, greeting her in return. "It's alright. I don't know how much more my heart can take though—I thought for sure an attack was on its way."

"Bulking up?" She questioned as she briefly nodded towards the gym they were now walking away from.

He grinned. "What can I say? I like to look after my body."

"Well you're doing a great job of it."

It was just a few seconds later that Mickie groaned, scrunching her eyes shut for a moment. Was that really the best remark she could come up with? With an awkward smile, she looked back over to the guy, only to find him with a smirk on his face. "What?" She relaxed, giggling slightly, and hit him on the arm.

"I don't know. You're cute, I guess."

_Don't blush. Don't blush. Don't blush._

Fortunately, she was distracted before her cheeks could even think about becoming heated with pink, and her focus rested on his chest instead. "Gosh, aren't you cold?" She asked. "It's not the warmest of days." As if to further her point, she rubbed her gloved hands together.

"I'll be fine." He shrugged nonchalantly. "What about you? I don't think you're in the position to complain when you're dressed like that. You don't even have a jacket on."

Mickie was aware that she looked ridiculous as she glanced down to her attire. With a purple tank top, jeans and winter boots on, she did look like she was hoping to brave the cold—a scarf, gloves and woolly hat helped her case too, but there was one essential clothing item missing.

"Blame Ash, my roommate. She went to wash a whole load of our stuff and ignored me when I said I didn't want my coat to be washed. It was my favourite as well."

"This Ash seems to be a pain."

"No, she's my best friend...which actually doesn't exclude the fact she is, but still." She laughed softly as his smirk widened. "I don't know what it is with her. She's so stubborn in the sense she doesn't want anyone's help but I know she needs it. And I can't help but to worry about her."

A brief silence hovered over the pair as they walked on, seemingly in the direction of one of the guys' dorms on campus. Having never headed this way before, she was somewhat intrigued by what the journey would bring her.

"I'm sorry," she apologized not a moment too soon. "I shouldn't have put this all on you. I mean, we hardly know each other and—"

"Actually," he interrupted as he revealed a black rucksack from his back and looked for something in it, "It's nice to know that you can confide in me about personal things like that. I'm not really the go-to guy with my friends." A beat later, he looked back up, flashing a grin in her direction. "And here, you can borrow this if you like."

Mickie's eyes flickered to what he was holding out in front of her, and she smiled as she looked back to his stare. "It's okay, really..."

"Come on, you look like you're cold. It's only a jacket." He waved it about. "What harm can it do?"

"Well...okay." She rolled her eyes playfully and went to take the black and blue striped piece from him.

But behaving like the perfect gentleman, Ted stopped walking to stand behind her and helped her arms through the sleeves of it. The clothing was baggy on her due to their obvious difference and apparently she was hilarious with the look, as he chuckled lightly.

"What now?" Her smile still hadn't faded.

"Nothing." He shook his head and started walking again. "Like I said, you're cute."

She stayed rooted to the spot for a few seconds, trying to process the compliments she kept receiving, and then decided she couldn't. What had she done to deserve such flattery? With her smile growing wider, Mickie caught up with him, walking just that little bit closer to him as they went on to discuss other matters.

In the background, Phil held back a glare as he watched them for a moment longer. Then, backing away slowly, he shook his head in disbelief. "I guess she's already made up her mind."

* * *

"We need to talk."

Eve, who had been peacefully enjoying a rest against the tree behind her, froze with shock when the familiar voice addressed her. All the warmth and comfort in her body left her as her eyelids snapped open, confirming her worst nightmare.

Anxiously, she turned to Ashley, hopeful for a rescue from the girl. By now, however, she was so immersed in listening to her music—this heard by the blast of rock coming through her headphones—she didn't have the slightest clue as to what was going on around her.

A sigh escaped through her lips as she realized she had no escape from Mike's stare. There was a slight glare in her eyes as she lifted herself to her feet, and then took her sweet time to dust the leaves and dirt off of her clothes.

The Miz, in no mood to deal with her petulant mood, took her arm and harshly dragged her away from her friend's presence until they were only in each other's company, away from the crowd. "You've been ignoring me."

"What the hell do you think you're doing manhandling me like that?" scoffed the brunette, her oh-so-familiar glare returning to her features. "You could have hurt me."

"I'm done with this shit." He ignored her, shaking his head. "Eve, I can't be your toy anymore. I'm a nice guy but when things like this happen...I can't bring myself to pretend to be okay."

She swallowed lightly as she took in his expression of anger. He was clearly pissed off and, she hated to admit, for good reason. Still, she wasn't about to back down from her hidden bitchy attitude. "You were never my toy, Mike. You don't even know what you're talking about."

"Oh really?" He raised an eyebrow. A bitter chuckle passed through his lips. "I asked you about Matt and you ignored me...acted like I hadn't even said his name. But now I need to know something."

At the mention of Matt's name, she recoiled, and looked away guiltily. Not even the sight of Ted and Mickie a short distance away could bring her attention away from the guy in front of her.

"And now you're doing it again." His fingers curled around her elbow again. "Look at me," he spoke firmly. Unfortunately, he didn't feel settled when she eventually conceded to his wish. "I know you have feelings for me."

"You don't know—"

"Yes, I do know what I'm talking about. And I've heard the excuses before." He told her. "But I _know _you have feelings for me, regardless of who you're in a relationship with. If you didn't we wouldn't have had sex—"

"Shhh!"

"Or," If anything he spoke louder, "You wouldn't have kissed me at the Halloween party."

"Hey, you said we would never speak of that night again."

"Well I can't stop thinking about it so I'm afraid I can't do that." He let go of her and ran a hand through his spiky blonde hair. "There's something going on between us, Eve, and I want to know what that is. I won't be kept away like your dirty little secret."

"Oh really?" She scoffed sarcastically. "So what do you suggest?"

"You either break up with Matt for me or we cut all ties and I'll move on. How does that sound?"

Her eyes narrowed in slight anger. "Are you...are you giving me an ultimatum?"

"It looks that way. Let me know before the end of the week, would you?"

And seemingly, with nothing more to say, Mike walked away, leaving Eve to stare after him in disbelief and wonder what the hell she was supposed to do now.

* * *

Well would ya look at that, another cliff-hanger. Bummer. Anywho, please review =)

Up next is **Ashley's **chapter.


	21. My Discovery, Your Downfall: Ashley

The Great Escape

_AN._ Thank you to **HappySmiler, xHalosandwings, Chain Gang Princess, Boo, RKO.I.F, Kellia Girl, xTwistedxImperfectionx, Cena-Wilson-Crazy, Nessa, TJ Sparkles **_&_ **rory21** for reviewing the last chapter.

Thanks very muchly :)

Chapter Twenty-One – My Discovery, Your Downfall

* * *

**ASHLEY**

* * *

Closing her eyes against the river of shampoo that trickled down from her locks to the bridge of her nose, Ashley breathed in its familiar floral scent and allowed herself a rare smile. In a way this shower reminded her of taking one back home; with only a black depth to stare into, the imagination was no longer starved, and she could almost see herself back in her own bedroom on a casual weekday evening.

Except, of course, she always held the reality that that was just a memory and the present was much more significant to her now.

Opening her eyes again and looking up to the ceiling, her smile widened into a slight grin. Here, she wouldn't pad back into her bedroom and have her mood dragged down by the ever-lasting row between her parents. She wouldn't feel desperate to leave her surroundings every evening and get herself into trouble just so she could be given some attention, whether it was good or bad.

"Ash, get your ass out of the shower – you're going to use all the hot water!"

But then again, college life wasn't all it was cracked up to be either, even if it was a damn sight better than home.

After pretending not to hear her friend, or the several slams on the door, she emerged into the bedroom freshly clean and fully dressed twenty minutes later. Even the blue turban-style towel holding up her hair couldn't distract from the cruel smirk on her face.

"Don't look at me like that, Massaro." Mickie attempted to insert authority into the matter, but ended up pouting instead. "You took longer in there on purpose, didn't you?"

"Would I do such a thing?" She asked innocently, perching on the edge of her bed and shaking her hair free from its hold.

"Of course you would. I bet you heard me complaining as well. I was knocking because you had a visitor while you were in there."

"Was it Brian? I've been meaning to text him back—"

"No, and it wasn't Paul either."

"So who was it?"

"Your one and only main man."

At the smile on the brunette's face she grimaced, and, as if her feelings weren't clear enough the first time, gave a look of utter disgust a few seconds later. Why did she have to be plagued with thoughts of Adam whenever she was having a relatively good time? It simply wasn't fair to be provided with the knowledge of his presence...or the fact that he'd been into the room for a second, unwanted time.

"Really, Ash, calm down." A giggle spilled through Mickie's lips before she pointed to her laptop. There was now a yellow folder on top of it, something that hadn't been there when she had gone to bathe. "He just dropped off some sociology work. Apparently you didn't pick up one of the papers in your last class."

"Oh..."

"Isn't that nice?" The girl prompted as Ashley, trying hard to find a reason to dislike the courteous gesture, began to comb through her tangled hair. "Oh and he said to return the notes when you're ready – he doesn't expect them back tonight."

_Of course he doesn't._

She rolled her eyes at the thought of him sitting smugly in his room back in the guys' dorm, thinking that he'd pissed her off enough for her to care. _He doesn't expect them back tonight. _Did he know her that well?

"I think it's sweet that he knows all of your habits. He almost knows you as well as I do; we both expect you to be stubborn enough that you won't accept his help until the last minute and then—"

"You're pushing it, Mickie."

A silly giggle nearly made her roll her eyes again. "Oh please. Ash, I know you. And you know he knows you."

"Of course he knows me. We're in the same class."

"You know what I mean," said the student, shaking her head playfully as she stood to her feet and rummaged around for a clean towel. "I reckon you have a little bit of a crush on him – you're just too hard-headed to admit it."

"We've been on one date, we're stuck with each other in the same class because I can't do anything about it, he tries to have conversations with me but I ignore him." She scoffed a moment later. "Yeah, _sure._"

"Sooner or later, you're going to have to give in to his charm."

_What charm? What is everyone else seeing that I'm not? And __**why**__ does everyone like him?_

"You know what?" Suddenly determined, the blonde stood to her feet, pulling her hair back into an untidy bun and heading for the door. "If he thinks I'm going to do what he _thinks_ then he clearly doesn't know me well enough. I'm going to return his notes to him right now."

"But what are you going to do without the papers?"

She hadn't thought that part through, but shrugged anyway. "I don't know. I'll borrow from someone else. But one thing is for sure: I won't have Adam Copeland so cocky about himself. He doesn't know me...He never will," she finished quietly.

Her friend merely raised an eyebrow, recognizing this mood one too many times to question it anymore. "Well okay..."

In a defiant mood, she snatched the folder and closed the door behind her, intent on getting to the other dorm as soon as possible. This mood of hers was something she couldn't control; it made her itch to know he was—or should be, in her opinion—acting so smugly about this.

Even if the issue was small.

It didn't take more than five minutes to find the room he was staying in—her long, determined strides made sure of that. The looks she received, some of amusement at the look on her face and some of confusion, didn't bother her one little bit, and she moved forwards until she came across what would have been familiar if she'd seen his door before.

_Adam + The Miz_, read the note in a red squiggly line on the whiteboard attached to the door of their room. _Knock if you dare...'cept chicks. You can come right in._

"For God's sake," she muttered to herself over the immaturity of the guys, but counted herself as one of these chicks and pushed the door open with a stronger force than she'd intended to use. "Adam, do you really think—"

Her breath caught in her throat almost immediately as her eyes slid over to his bed, following her brief glance at Mike's empty single. She froze in her step, unable to do anything about her body's functions, and simply stared at the sight she was unwillingly presented with.

There was nothing surprising about seeing the Canadian in his bed, shirt off and the cover half-wrapped around his frame; it was the pretty girl beneath him that had her at a loss for words. Her eyes swept over the long nails, dug into the skin of his back...the pouted lips as he'd bent down to kiss her neck just a short moment before she had interrupted.

Now, Adam turned, finally alerted of another presence in the room.

For the first time in her life, Ashley couldn't find the words, words that would usually come so naturally to her, to address him with. She simply stared at him for what seemed like a long time, and tried to work out her feelings in the meantime. There were so many things she felt, she didn't know where to start.

The silence soon became too much, but it wasn't them who interrupted. The raven-haired beauty cursed loudly, half-moving and half-falling out of the bed whilst trying to wrap the sheet around her naked frame. "Ashley, oh my..."

Her stuttering words, the guilty undertone in her voice, didn't mean a thing. They were blocked out entirely as she continued to stare at Adam, who now seemed to have the decency to look around for his clothes.

Swallowing lightly, she rounded on the girl, her eyes narrowing into angry slits. One emotion gripped her, held her so tightly that she simply couldn't contain it any longer. "You _whore._" She spat out.

Biting down on her swollen bottom lip, Candice Michelle fumbled awkwardly for her own clothes, fighting desperately to keep the sheet from falling down and holding it closely to her chest. Her eyes closed for a moment and she sighed; when she opened them again, she looked truly caught-out, as though she'd half-expected the interruption to have been a figment of the imagination.

"How could you do this to Jeff?" She demanded. The glare she gave wasn't one she'd given before; it was full of hatred and disgust, a look that Adam shied away from as he slipped on his pants and a shirt. "He _loves_ you."

"And I love him—"

"Evidently, not enough." She shook her head. "And you," she turned to Adam, clutching the folder he'd given her even tighter in her free hand; the other was still placed on the doorknob. "I just..."

But then she was forced to trail off.

What was it that she wanted to say to him? She had every reason in the world to be angry at Candice, who was awkwardly changing back into her clothes now—the girl had cheated on her boyfriend, and not even for a meaningful reason, just for a casual sex get-together. But _him_...

What was there to say?

She fought down the strange lump in her throat as he opened his mouth, running a hand through his messy hair, and then closed it again. It seemed that he was at a loss for words, too.

"Please, please..." Candice licked her lips as she hurried towards Ashley, now fully-dressed and looking sincerely apologetic. "Don't tell Jeff."

A scoff choked down anything else she may have been feeling in the moment, and she turned, flinging the folder over to Mike's bed so she could prod a finger harshly into her friend's chest. "I swear to you, I will tell him. I won't have him not knowing what's been going on between you two."

"Oh God, but...but..."

"Hey, maybe you should have locked the door or something." Sarcasm came easily to her as she stepped away, eyeing her up and down in disgust. She felt bitter towards both of them and couldn't, try as she might, seem to hide her complete reaction. "If you don't tell him, I will. That's not a threat, it's a promise."

There was a heavy glisten in Candice's eyes as she turned away, ready to scamper out of her way and head back to her own room—or at least somewhere far away from this atmosphere, at least.

Ashley watched her go, and continued staring down the hallway for a long while afterwards. She couldn't bring herself to think any coherent thoughts; her mind just kept giving her all these things and images to contend with. How was she supposed to feel? Because what she felt right now was angry and disappointed...and something else. Another emotion she couldn't quite identify in the moment.

"Ashley..." Adam's soft voice whispered, closer to her than she expected. "I—"

Her thoughts were still on Candice, and so she didn't dare turn to meet his gaze. She didn't think she would be able to stand it. "You're a _dick,_" she hissed, unable to keep the venom from oozing out of her tone.

He nodded. "I know."

"How long has _this_ been going on?"

"Ash—"

"No, don't you dare try and talk me out of finding out. Jeff has a right to know how long his girlfriend and his _friend_ have been fucking behind his back."

"It's happened..." He trailed off for a moment, a weak sigh spilling through his lips as he angled his head to look at her. "Maybe a few times. It's kind of...a casual thing."

A shocking amount of rage grabbed Ashley, coursing through her body at quick speed, and she soon saw red. He anticipated her reaction and dangerously placed his hands on her waist to calm her, only to be overpowered as she swung round, out of his light hold, and clenched both hands into fists.

"You should be _ashamed_ of yourself." She muttered, her anger at its peak, and smashed her right hand into his cheek for a hard punch.

She took little satisfaction in the way he stumbled back from the blow, and turned, her wet locks falling out of the loose bun as she stalked away. Before she knew it, her legs had picked up a quicker pace...and then she suddenly broke out into a run.

She didn't know where she was going, or in which direction she would end up, but she needed to get the hell away from that room.

* * *

She sat, an hour later, in the cafeteria. She was perfectly still as she sat at an unnoticeable table in the far corner and scratched absentmindedly at the green plastic of her tray. She had little to show for her meal, merely a bottle of water and an apple, but she didn't care to eat right now. Instead, she just stared out of the window nearest to her and took in the view of the students walking around outside.

What was it that she was feeling?

Ashley tried desperately to grasp onto the emotion and figure out the weakness she had for it, but it was too hard. Right now all she could focus on was what she'd seen a while ago, and how badly it had had an effect on her.

"Hey Ash, mind if I talk to you about something?"

She minded very much but looked up anyway, surprised to see Randy's face staring back at her. She lazily invited him to take a seat opposite to hers and he awkwardly accepted, sliding in a moment later.

"So?" She raised an eyebrow, not caring in that moment to be polite for the company. "What is it you wanted to talk about?"

"Hey, are you alright? You look...upset."

This caught her by surprise. She sat a little more upright, taking in the concerned expression on his face, and then scratched at the back of her neck uncomfortably. She hadn't bothered to look at herself recently in the mirror but she could imagine that she looked the worse for wear.

Finally, she shook her head. "Whatever. What do _you_ want?"

"Oh right." He began, but she was paying him little attention. Adam's face was clouding her thoughts, taking up all her time. "I've been thinking a lot about Maria and I wanted to know...well, do you think she's serious about me?"

--

"_I know."_

"_How long has this been going on?"_

"_Ash—"_

"_No, don't you dare try and talk me out of finding out. Jeff has a right to know how long his girlfriend and his friend have been fucking behind his back."_

--

"...She seems to be ignoring me and when I do want to talk to her, I'm always with Michelle and it seems wrong to leave her and go to talk to her."

--

"_It's happened..." He trailed off for a moment, a weak sigh spilling through his lips as he angled his head to look at her. "Maybe a few times. It's kind of...a casual thing."_

--

The blonde could feel it happening again. _It._ There was a first time for everything, she realized, as the emotions she was trying too hard to push away slipped out of her control. She felt absolutely everything as she listened to the guy talk about her friend.

"I mean, should I—"

"What you need to do is grow a set of balls and just talk to her. It's not that difficult," she told him and stood to her feet, leaving the apple behind but grabbing the bottle. "You like her. She likes you. It's as simple as that. Now have you got that or do you need it spelt out for you?"

She didn't look for a reaction to her comment and quickly moved out of the cafeteria, only slowing when she reached the familiar safety of her dorm. Her pace slowed as she found her room—something was slowing her down, preventing her from entering the room and pretending that she was okay to Mickie.

She stopped, breathed in deeply, and soon decided not to revert back into her familiar character. Instead she leaned against the wall beside the door and closed her eyes firmly; it was a moment later that she found herself sliding down until she reached the floor.

_Damn it. What is going on with me? Why do I feel like __**this**__?_

With nothing to show for her mood, or nothing she could quite understand, Ashley felt her frustration build up again. What the hell was with this life, throwing everything towards her and expecting her to just take it?

She was overwhelmed at the prospect of everything and nothing would give her a break to just...relax. To forget about everything. To forget about the past. Why did she have to keep moving, working herself half to death, just so she could move on from her past experiences?

"Ash," said Maria's soft voice at the wrong moment. The redhead looked to soothe her friend as she slowly approached her, taking in the unfamiliar pose. "Is everything okay?"

She couldn't handle holding everything in any longer—at least not right now.

With a firm grip, she launched the bottle out of her hand in a fit of rage, and watched as it smashed against the opposite wall. Water splattered everywhere but she didn't care for the mess as she pulled her knees closer to her chest and leant her head against them, closing her eyes a minute later.

"It's okay." Two arms wrapped around her shaking shoulders a short moment later as Maria came to sit beside her. "I don't know what's going on with you...but whatever it is, it's okay."

_No, it's fucking not._

But Ashley kept this to herself as she leaned into the support she was being offered and allowed the first tear to fall from her tired eyes.

* * *

So there's the next chapter. Please review :)

Up next is _**Eve's **_chapter.


	22. Love is a Losing Game: Eve

The Great Escape

_AN._ Thank you to **RKO.I.F, VolcomStoneBabe, HappySmiler, xHalosandwings, Chain Gang Princess, xTwistedxImperfectionx, rory21, Cena-Wilson-Crazy, xsostarstruck, Grits0205,** **John Cena's Field Hockey Star **_&_ **TJ Sparkles **for reviewing the last chapter.

Thanks very muchly :)

Chapter Twenty-Two – Love is a Losing Game

* * *

**EVE**

* * *

A lustful sigh escaped Eve's slightly open lips as she sat in the library, her eyes glued to the thin book she'd picked up just an hour ago from the 'classic' section. With each line she read, she fell even more in love with the male lead, earning herself, though of course she didn't realize, odd looks from students passing by each time she made this known with certain noises.

"_My real purpose was to see you, and to judge," _she repeated the bold words on the page, completely infatuated as she toyed with the silver chain around her neck, _"If I could, whether I might ever hope to make you love me. _Oh Darcy, you're such a—"

"Is this Eve Torres I see with a book in her hand? Not only that, is she reading it?"

Under thick lashes, her eyes narrowed as they took in Maria's slender form. The redhead giggled innocently at the reaction and placed herself, and the things she was carrying, down at the table. She would've wasted breath asking what was going on if she didn't already know that it was going to be explained.

"Before you ask, somebody recommended this book to me via Facebook and I decided to come here and check it out." A beat later, she marked the page and then firmly closed the book. "I thought I should take a look at real love for once—the news of Adam and Candice was really beginning to depress me."

Her friend nodded gravely, her bottom lip forming into a slight pout as she thought of Jeff. Though it had only been a couple of days since the private—and shocking—admission, the truth had quickly spread around campus and the deceit was obvious enough for everyone to see.

"Poor Jeff," said Maria to distract them both for a moment. "And poor Ash. When she explained what she saw and then started crying again, I just knew. I just knew she'd really fallen for Adam."

She merely shrugged as she tapped the cover of her book. "This is why I've turned to Mr. Darcy. He's perfect in every way and reminds me that true love is still around."

"Hmm. I don't know if your brain is a little too fried after working too hard to read this book, but may I remind you that you have Matt—you remember him, right? Matt Hardy, the love of your life. That's living proof of perfection right there, girly."

The brunette chose to remark on the insult rather than the question that had followed it. "I think you're turning into another version of Ashley or something, you know. And that's something I could definitely do without."

She felt uncomfortable as she glanced away to take in the rest of her surroundings; the traces of her playful mood were now fading, being replaced by a hollow feeling in the pit of her stomach. She felt even more ashamed of herself when she realized she was thinking about her boyfriend in such a negative light.

Now whenever Matt Hardy was on her mind, she only thought of him as a problem; he was thousands of miles away from her place of residence, inconvenient even for a long-distance relationship. She was now beginning to understand that she wouldn't get those warm embraces or cute kisses—things that she had so badly craved before—from him anytime she wanted. He was close in her heart by telephone and email, but things were much different in the reality of it all.

She now knew she was straying from the idea of being in a relationship with the Hardy Brother. Only time would well whether this was a good or bad thing.

Though she soon decided to return to Pride and Prejudice—particularly to Mr. Darcy's delectable ways—she couldn't help but to be captivated by her best friend's strange behaviour. She watched as Maria, usually so eager and full of life in her body language, stiffened as she took in a sight by the library door. Out of the way herself, she couldn't see what it was, but could just about imagine who the interruption could be.

The redhead continued to stare for about half a minute and then jumped suddenly, as if caught out, before she turned back to Eve's amused stare. "So...what were we talking about?"

She merely shook her head playfully. "You and Randy need to talk already."

The star of their discussion casually walked past their table a moment later, and looked to be making a big effort out of staring ahead of him. It wasn't Randy who held her utmost attention, though; it was the guy who walked beside him with an air of confidence. He, however, stared straight at her before he passed by completely.

Maria's stuttered responses provided her with an excuse to stand and cast a glance to where the boys were headed. She was happily excused from the table, but soon wished she hadn't been as she placed one foot in front of the other to join them.

It was time to sort this mess out once and for all.

"Excuse me," she interrupted the pair, her tone mixed with both fear and relief. She turned to Randy with a polite smile. "Do you mind if I borrow him quickly?"

Mike answered for his friend, patting him twice on the back before he followed the girl to find a place where they could talk privately. They both found themselves in a deserted area of the History section a minute later, staring at each other intensely.

"You've made up your mind with a few days to spare?" He questioned softly.

She took in those eyes of his, almost drowning in them, and forced herself to look away briefly. He always seemed to hold the ability—whether he intended to or not—to make her feel weak inside. "Yeah, I have," she cleared her throat. "I was thinking about you...and it all seemed to fall into place before my eyes."

He noticed the almost confused expression on her features and shrugged lightly; his heart was racing, beat by beat, with curious anticipation. "So what's your answer?"

Inhaling deeply, she placed a hand on his arm. "My answer...is kind of complicated. But I can promise you it's a real one."

"You better explain it to me then."

She prepared to do this. Eventually, she found the courage to speak. "I think you're a jerk, Miz. You gave me a harsh ultimatum because you wanted me all to yourself—you didn't seem to care how I would feel about making a decision like this. In fact you didn't even seem to care that I would be torn about this. You just looked me in the eye and told me to choose, plain and simple. You didn't take my feelings into account at all."

"This doesn't sound complicated at all," said Mike, intervening. There was no mistaking the bitter tone in his voice.

"But it is," she assured him. "Because I also realized how much I like you. This wouldn't be the case if I hadn't spend so much time agonizing over the decision I had to make. We share a deep connection, something I haven't found with any other guy before. Not even Matt. You make me feel happy, Mike. I've smiled so many times recently because of you. You make me feel special—"

In that moment he seized her, grabbing the back of her neck and pulling her towards him intimately. His lips crashed down onto hers just a moment later, and both felt the private romance of the moment pull them away from reality.

Forcing herself, she pressed her palms against his chest and pushed him away. Biting down on her swollen bottom lip, she stared up at him and said, "Which makes this..._complicated._"

Still breathless from their embrace, the blonde replied, "What's so complicated about this?"

"I like you, Miz. But the truth is I'm _in love_ with Matt and you can't change that; no-one can. I think I was so lonely here without him that I used you for comfort."

"What?"

"I can't be with you. I like you a lot but—"

"I don't have to stand around and listen to this bullshit." Anger was his natural course of response as he shook his head and took a step back.

"Listen, we can still be—"

"Don't even say it." He warned. "You and I both know that's not possible."

He didn't say another word, though he looked like he wanted to, and Eve was left to watch as he stalked away from her. Unsurprisingly enough, the feeling of despair that had creeped up on her beforehand didn't disappear after she'd given him his answer.

* * *

It wasn't at all easy to forget about her earlier conflict with Mike, but Eve was determined to at least try as she finally arrived to the restaurant just outside of campus grounds, and rushed over to take the vacant seat between Adam and Maria. She was relieved—and slightly insulted—to find her absence hadn't been missed all that much for the past twenty minutes.

"Sorry I'm late," she whispered to Maria, pulling her away from her conversation with Michelle for a short moment. "I couldn't find the right outfit to wear. I know, superficial me."

This wasn't entirely true. Though she'd spent enough time looking through her wardrobe, her tardiness had been on account of her distant mood. For ten minutes she'd sat in front of the mirror, occasionally wiping away the tears that strayed from her eyes to her cheeks. She was simply thankful to be alone in such a desperate, vulnerable moment.

Hating herself for remembering the sad, lonely face that had stared back at her, she quickly turned to Adam in the hope that he, as the joker of the group, would provide her with some form of entertainment. She was soon to discover he could; her eyes settled on him a moment later, but he didn't notice this as he continued to stare at the blonde girl sitting opposite him.

Ashley looked uncomfortable, though she was unaware of the attention she was receiving, as she stirred the straw clockwise in her drink over and over again. She also looked like she wanted to be anywhere but there—understandable given the company.

"Hey," the brunette leaned in to whisper, finally tearing his attention away from the girl. "I know you're pretty much hated by the gang here but I just thought I'd let you know that I don't hate you."

He raised an eyebrow. "You don't?"

"Not really." She shrugged. "I mean, I hate you for hurting her—that's the rules—but I'm not going to judge you for that thing with Candice. I mean, Jeff has practically moved on already from it."

"Good to know," he muttered. "You know, the only reason I was coming to this thing was because Mike was supposed to be here too. He bailed out at the last minute, of course. I don't know what's been up with him recently..."

He shook his head as he trailed off and then glanced cautiously in Ashley's direction once more. Eve followed his gaze, then glanced in-between the pair for another moment. "I think you should go for it."

"Sorry?"

"You've got nothing else to lose." She shrugged. "You should tell her how you feel."

Only now did he allow a lazy smirk to curve his lips. "What do you think I've been telling her all this time?"

As she looked up, Ashley only saw the irritatingly confident look on his slightly bruised face that she'd gotten used to in his presence; with her mood now, however, she found she couldn't handle her actions or the anger she felt inside, and chose to deal with the situation how she knew best.

With harsh actions.

The blonde didn't think twice as she curled her fingers around the glass of water in front of her and stood to her feet. Just as Adam turned to face her, she threw the liquid in his face, and then slammed the quarter-full cup back onto the table with a defiant energy. With one last glare, she stomped away.

"Personally," smiled Adam sarcastically as her turned to her, "I don't think that's such a good idea. I'm out of here."

A sigh slipped through her slightly parted lips as she turned to the remaining occupants of their table.

Her eyes swept over Michelle and Maria, to her right, first; the pair looked like ultimate _BFFs_ as they chatted enigmatically, getting straight back into their conversation after the brief interruption from Ashley. She couldn't help the pang of jealousy she felt just watching them—they were growing closer and closer by the day, and try as she might, she couldn't help but to feel she was slowly being pushed away by her best friend.

Then she settled on the sight opposite her, the remaining two. She watched with interest, angling her head as she leaned back in her seat, while Ted and Mickie chatted to one another. The pair hadn't even turned to witness the previous event, and had instead paid attention to only each other.

_She looks far more comfortable with him than Punk,_ she couldn't help but to note.

This was true. The brunette rested her chin in the palm of her hand as she leaned on the table, listening to Ted explain something about his daily routine. The hand he casually rested on the back of her chair wasn't missed by her either; their positions seemed all too intimate.

Once again, a pang of envy shot through her. Not for quietly losing a friendship, obviously, but for the reminder of how her and Matt had been before she'd moved here to attend college.

Figuring no-one would miss her for two minutes, she rose to her feet and made her way towards the exit of the restaurant. The cold night air raised goose bumps on her arms as she stepped outside, but she didn't allow this to deter her from staying out there for a little while longer.

After producing a cell phone from her pocket, she dialled in a number she knew off by heart and waited for an answer. When she got one just seconds later, her heart warmed in her chest. "Hey you," she smiled softly. "I'm glad you answered."

"_I'm glad you called."_ Matt replied cheerfully enough. _"Is there any reason you called?"_

A shrug lifted her shoulders. "Not really," she told him as she spotted a bench mere feet away and headed towards it. "I just missed the sound of your voice, is all."

He chuckled down the line. _"That's sweet—I miss everything about you, baby. It's hard being here without you." _He admitted with a deep sigh. _"Oh and everyone misses you, by the way. My Dad even misses the God-awful meals you used to make for us whenever you came by at the weekends."_

The brunette couldn't help but to smile at the memories of those so-called God-awful meals. "I tried my best, didn't I? Anyway...I miss everyone back home too. It's so hard trying to focus on my work when all I can think of is you and my family. Dysfunctional as they are, I miss being around the house."

"_I wish I could hug you right now and tell you everything will be okay. You're suffering badly, huh?"_

"Well I definitely hate being homesick that's for sure." She sighed weakly. "Matt, it's too difficult being without you."

An uneasy silence followed this remark as both tried to think of something to say, something that would rule out this being true. Finally, he offered a response. _"And to think we're struggling to be apart from each other now. We've got four years of this to contend with."_

Four years.

The thought made her shudder in rejection to the idea. She'd already been through a turmoil of emotions just being away from her hometown for a couple of months—how was she supposed to survive another four years without him? She had the comfort of knowing her family would be there for her; through thick and thin, the Torres family always stuck together.

But she and Matt...they were different. Relationships changed over time, and she already knew hers had suffered enough. Matt Hardy was indeed the love of her life but it didn't change the fact she was going to lose him to the pressure of college—whether she wanted to admit it or not.

"_Four years is an awfully long time, don't you think? I'll miss you too much, even if you do come home for holidays. It'll only remind me that you have to leave again."_

Now feeling the cold, though she was unaware of whether this was to do with the weather or a reflection of her own mood, Eve sniffed. "Matt?" She said cautiously as her eyes looked for a distraction from her solemn tone and focused on the traffic zooming past her on the road. "...We're breaking up, aren't we?"

There was a long silence after this.

She stood up from the bench and turned, phone glued to her ear as she walked down the street. What she really felt like doing right now was having an early night; her stomach would protest to having no dinner, of course, but it wouldn't be the main issue. Not right now, anyway.

"_Yes."_ He spoke the dreaded truth a few minutes later and sighed. _"I'm sorry, Eve, I really am."_

"Me too." She answered. Because the truth of it was this: they were supposed to have the relationship that could outstand anything remotely challenging, but this was only a make-believe solution. They both knew their time was coming to an end. "I love you, Matt."

"_I love you too, baby."_

Finding herself unable to chat for any longer, Eve hung up. She kept the phone pressed in her closed hand for a little while more as she followed the familiar direction back to campus.

Perhaps it was the shock but she didn't feel like crying about the break-up. She didn't feel like doing...anything.

All she felt was numb as she thought of her bed and how fitting it would be for her to slip inside of it and hide under the covers until the morning.

* * *

So there's the next chapter. Please review :)

Up next is **Maria's **chapter.


	23. You & I Collide: Maria

The Great Escape

_AN._ Thank you to **Grits0205, xHalosandwings, Chain Gang Princess, Cena-Wilson-Crazy, xTwistedxImperfectionx, HappySmiler, Michelle, rory21 **_&_ **RKO.I.F **for reviewing the last chapter.

Thanks very muchly :)

Chapter Twenty-Three – You & I Collide

* * *

**MARIA**

* * *

Opening the door to a teary-eyed Michelle McCool, Maria felt only a large amount of sympathy towards the girl as she took one long lingering look at her, and then ushered her inside. Tissues were at the ready, and picked up as soon as the door had creaked to a gentle close; this next tender moment, whether it was to be short and sad or long and significant, would not be an upbeat one for either party.

Eve, who had been hoping to study in peace that day, flicked back her hair and rolled her eyes at the back of her frenemy as she sat down on her friend's bed. Though she'd expected such a scene following the news, she hadn't wished to be present when it was played out.

"I'm so sorry about this," apologized the blonde straightaway as soon as she was joined by Maria, who placed a supportive hand on her shoulder. "I know the last thing you want is me coming around here and depressing you. I—I just didn't know where else to go."

"No – don't even worry about it! I'm here for you, Chelle. If you need to talk then just talk; I'm here to listen."

She caught a glimpse of her best friend's expression after glancing elsewhere, taking in the cross between a smirk and a sneer, and shot her a brief warning look as the girl beside her broke down into tears once more. She rubbed her back gently to soothe her, and simply waited for the moment to cease.

The poor girl. Having grown close to her over the past couple of months, she was saddened by her first sight of Michelle being truly upset. The image was heartbreaking to her, and an oddly fierce protective feeling ran deep through her as she thought of how much she was suffering right now. She didn't deserve the pain she was going through.

With a soft voice, she attempted to break the silence, in which the sobs had become too much to bear. "Whenever you're ready to talk..."

After gingerly picking up a tissue with her fingertips, the tall blonde looked up, straight into her caring eyes. A light shake of the head had her looking away again; it would be better to explain her grief properly without having to look at her. "I feel so stupid now. I can't believe how happy I was this morning—I was literally thanking God for how wonderful my life was going. Look where that's got me now."

"Oh Chelle, don't dwell on that. Sometimes these things happen unexpectedly...when you least expect it, too."

There was a short moment of silence in the room, with only the sound of Eve pressing pen to paper to fill it, before Michelle emitted another big sob. Sniffling, she said, "But I didn't think this would happen. I thought there would be some sort of sign, something to tell me things were not going so greatly. But it just...happened."

The element of surprise she felt couldn't possibly be argued with. Almost everyone on campus was amazed to hear about the latest news scandal—and Maria, counting two break-ups in the last week, was hit hard with the information of another one. It seemed like a strange dream, she remembered, when Mickie had come in to tell her the world's most perfect couple were no more.

At first she didn't know how to react to the subject of Randy and Michelle's split. Of course, she was devastated for her friend, and her heart went out to her just thinking about the shock she would be going through. But then, a few minutes later, she recognized a particular feeling she hadn't expected to feel: relief. The revelation was brief, but also significant.

"So...what exactly did he say to you?" She asked, not because she really wanted to know, but because she needed a distraction to the guilt flooding through her system.

"He said we'd grown apart recently. He said we didn't have the same fire in our relationship as we had years ago. Then," she sniffled again, "he went on to say he wasn't sure we ever had that spark."

Maria tucked a loose curl of red hair behind her ear, swallowing lightly. Why was it so hard to shake this feeling away? She wasn't known to be a vengeful person, not in the slightest, but here she was, questioning her bubbly nature and wondering why she wasn't able to stay in the right mindset.

"I'm so sorry—I really don't know what to say. When I saw you guys yesterday I didn't suspect a thing; you guys looked perfectly happy together."

As the blonde nodded and went on to talk some more, she forced herself to look like she was paying attention; in all actuality, she was focusing on the lie she'd just told her friend. She had seen the couple the previous day, but what she'd seen wasn't happiness.

The guarded look in Randy's eyes, the one that told her they had unfinished business to talk about, while his arm hung loosely around his girlfriend's shoulders, told her that something was amiss.

"...So that got me thinking," Michelle's voice brought her around from the memory, "that there has to be someone else in the picture."

Her eyes took in the sudden hardened expression in hers—the girl no longer looked heartbroken, but strangely determined. As she began to rip the tissue into little bits, the redhead risked a glance in her roommate's direction; even Eve had stopped writing in her pad to wait for an explanation.

Ignoring the hot flush that had quickly touched her cheeks, she pressed on. "What do you mean?"

"Well why not? We were fine until college started. I suppose I was a fool to think we'd be together forever, but I didn't think we would break up over another girl." She looked over. "I mean, what other explanation could there be?"

"Plenty, I'm sure. Sometimes you're so content with how things are going that you don't stop to think about how the other person is feeling." A frown crossed her features, as if she was only now just paying attention to what she was saying. "Michelle, I think—in time—you'll understand why this happened. Even if you don't, I'm sure you'll cope...which I know sounds harsh, but you're a strong girl. You'll get through this."

Michelle simply nodded in response. A beat later, she took Maria's hand in hers and stared back into her eyes. "There are so many students that I'm friends with who I don't really know—they wouldn't treat me like you just have. They'd probably suspect Randy was cheating too...and sadly enough, I would probably think they were doing it with him." A small sigh passed through her lips, followed by a sweet smile. "Call it paranoia but...I can _trust_ you, can't I?"

The comforting words that would usually come so naturally to her seemed to be stuck elsewhere and she found herself wanting to refrain from being so civil towards her friend. Would it be so challenging to tell her about the feelings she had for Randy? Wouldn't it be a relief to get the weight of her secret off of her shoulders, despite the consequences?

Wouldn't it be the worst mistake to make to such a good friend?

Maria gave a light smile. "Of course you can. Yes, you can trust me."

* * *

She hadn't once suspected the demise of her friends' relationship to be due to Randy having feelings for someone else.

As she sat stiffly at a vacant table in the library, Maria simply stared into space as she considered the option; if this was true, if her friend wasn't just being overly paranoid, then what could she make of it? She didn't know if it were possible to analyze the situation without becoming more unlike her friendly self—she had already rejected the offer of studying with Jeff to be by herself, which was a move she'd never made before.

And could she even dare to cause her heart even more distress by suggesting the feelings he had were...for her? Could she be foolish enough to believe that could be true?

No, of course not.

She'd seen the look in his eyes at the Halloween party when the truth about the nature of her feelings came out. There was a varied amount of confusion and surprise, something that suggested, at least to her, that he hadn't even considered her as a romantic interest before then.

And why would he? Every time she saw he and Michelle together, it broke her heart just a little bit more knowing she would never be in her shoes, but she felt settled enough knowing he was happy with her. That was all she wanted him to be—as cliché as it sounded, for him to be happy would allow her to move on from her crush.

But now she just didn't know what to think. Absentmindedly playing with a curl of her red fringe, she simply thought and thought. She'd never been so focused on one sole subject before. It was strange to devote so much of her time into the subject of Randy when really, if she was honest with herself, she knew she should have been focusing on something far more important.

Like schoolwork, for instance. The student shook her head lightly as she forced herself to look away from the blur of book aisles, and down to the work laid out in front of her instead. She had come up to the library for some peace and quiet, to study for a test she had coming up after the Christmas holidays were over.

So why couldn't she stop thinking about Randy?

"Hi, Maria." A timid voice greeted her ears suddenly, and she had to look up again to greet her visitor. Though she shouldn't have been, she was surprised by the girl standing over her. Candice offered the smallest of smiles. "Do you mind if I talk to you for a minute or two? I promise it won't take long."

"I'd rather we didn't chat." She answered sharply, though her naturally nice behaviour had her feeling bad for the way she was treating her friend. "You hurt Jeff," she pointed out dutifully. "You cheated on him just for sex and I can't forgive that. So no, we can't talk."

Any trace of a smile disappeared from the dark-haired beauty's face, and she nodded lightly. "Right," she muttered. "Well then can I just say one thing?"

Maria appeared to hesitate for a moment. Just looking at her now, all she really wanted to do was have a long chat with her—ask her what could have been going so wrong for her to want to cheat on her friend. But, as it happened, she could still feel pricks of irritation in the pit of her stomach as she faced her, and thought it would be better not to confront her. Not when she knew she was in a bad mood, and unlikely to be friendly towards her.

"Fine." She sighed. "What is it?"

Candice looked down briefly. "I don't like Adam, it's true. Us sleeping together...it just kind of happened. Jeff and I weren't happy together, and he was having trouble with his feelings for someone else. It was just sex; I wanted to feel better about myself because I knew Jeff would never make me feel like I was special again. Our relationship was dead and we both knew it. We just didn't want to admit it."

She continued to stare at her. She had no idea of what to say in response to this.

It didn't appear to matter as her friend continued. "So I am truly sorry that it ended this way, but I'm _glad_ it did end. And have you seen Jeff? He looks a lot happier without me."

This was true. Hanging out with him earlier in the week, she'd noticed his own friendly nature, an aspect of his personality she hadn't seen for quite some time. It'd made her smile to see him so happy...she was surprised, of course, but content to know he wasn't upset over the break-up.

"Besides, I think he'd moved on way before I did."

She raised a perfectly plucked eyebrow in surprise. "What do you mean?" She asked, twiddling her pen in-between her fingers.

Candice only shook her head. "See you around, Maria."

With eyes full of intrigue, she watched the girl walk away, right up until she disappeared out of the library. Then she stared back down at her paper, unsure of what to do in the meanwhile. That conversation had been...strange at the very least, and she now didn't know how to feel towards her once close friend.

_Okay. Concentrate, Maria, you really need to study. This is an important paper and you can't afford to waste your time on—_

"Hey, Maria," said a voice to interrupt her, one that was so familiar that she couldn't help but to pause all thoughts that told her to ignore the outside world. "Do you mind if I interrupt your study session for a minute so we can talk?"

A light swallow later, she glanced up, straight into the blue eyes of Randy Orton. "I, erm...I hadn't really started to be honest." She gave a nervous laugh. "So yeah, sure."

"Can we go somewhere private?"

"Private?" She couldn't help the squeak in her voice as she repeated the word. A flicker of a smile touched his lips as he glanced around, and she took that time to straighten herself out. It took her only half a minute—a real miracle—to stand to her feet and escort him to a small section behind the book aisle she was closest to. "Is this okay?"

"Sure." He nodded. A laugh escaped his lips as he stared down at her. "This seems strange, doesn't it?"

_More than._ She began to laugh along with him, but then realized it was probably better not to—anything she could do not to fall in love with him all over again, and painfully remember he was off-limits.

His chuckle settled into a warm smile and then, eventually, he simply came to stare at her. The mood between them seemed to change altogether, and she found herself being reminded of the last conversation they had. He'd looked at her this way when she'd accidently told him she had a crush on him.

But it wasn't just a crush now; though she had hoped spending time away from him and leaving him all to Michelle would pull her away from the attraction, it hadn't done that at all. She was certain her feelings were stronger than ever.

_Stop thinking like that. He'll never be yours. The sooner you accept that, the better._

A sad smile played on her own lips as she realized this once more. "So," she began dejectedly, "What did you want to talk to me about?"

This was it, wasn't it? The part where he told her that he simply wanted to be friends. That he appreciated her company, but it would be nicer if they remained friends because he didn't feel the same way about her. The conversation was planned out in her head already, and she saw herself as pathetic in her own mind.

"You told me you had feelings for me..." He trailed off for a moment, glancing down briefly before he found the courage to stare into her innocent eyes again. "And then you ran away before I could say anything. You've been avoiding me ever since, and I have too because I was always with Michelle whenever you were near. So that made it pretty hard for me to say what I wanted to—"

"It's okay." The redhead interrupted, closing her eyes so she wouldn't have to look at him. A weary sigh spilled through her red painted lips. "I understand, Randy. You don't want to be with me and I can accept that. It hurts, but I know I'll move on. Yes, I do have feelings for you—I didn't lie about that—but I'm sure they'll fade in time. I'm sorry for bringing all this drama on you in the first place. I know it must be—"

Her open mouth was caught unawares when a pair of warm lips pressed against hers, forcing her to cut her planned speech off with surprise. More than anything she knew she should have opened her eyes, just to see if this moment was real....but she couldn't bring herself to do so. Instead, she melted into the kiss, her shoulders slumping as an invisible weight was hauled off of them; when Randy pressed a firm hand against the back of her neck, pulling her closer into the embrace, she relaxed further.

She hadn't known it was possible to be kissed like this. Sure, she'd read about it in romance novels all the time—but, naturally, she hadn't imagined it to be like this. The way their lips meshed together, a perfect fit as they forgot all about the oxygen they would need, felt so wonderfully right.

Rejoicing, she could hardly stomach it when he pulled away slowly. Now she was left to contend with the quick race of her heart as he smiled against her lips. "You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that for," he mumbled quietly.

"You have no idea how long I've wanted you to do that." She allowed herself to smile back.

Together, she felt like everything was simply perfect.

...

"_There are so many students that I'm friends with who I don't really know—they wouldn't treat me like you just have. They'd probably suspect Randy was cheating too...and sadly enough, I would probably think they were doing it with him. Call it paranoia but...I can trust you, can't I?"_

_..._

But was perfection real? She'd been brought up not to believe in it, and could now see why that was.

Maria suddenly pulled away from him, taking into account the curious look in his eyes at what she assumed to be her shocked expression. Her smile had frozen, then dropped off of her face completely. "I, erm...I'm really sorry. I have to go."

"Wait!" He called as she slipped away, back to the table to gather her belongings together quickly. "...Maria?"

She didn't look back, merely stuffed all she could into her arms and hurried out of the library. She wasn't running away from Randy for the second time; in this moment, she was running away from the sweet look on Michelle's face in her thoughts.

* * *

So there's the next chapter. Please review :)

Up next is **Mickie's **chapter.


	24. Make Up Your Mind: Mickie

The Great Escape

_AN._ Thank you to **HappySmiler, xHalosandwings, VolcomStoneBabe, Grits0205, Chain Gang Princess, Cena-Wilson-Crazy, xTwistedxImperfectionx, RKO.I.F, rory21 **_&_ **TJ Sparkles **for reviewing the last chapter.

Thanks very muchly :)

Chapter Twenty-Four – Make Up Your Mind

* * *

**MICKIE**

* * *

"Mickie...heads up!"

The girlish shriek emitted through her lips when her brown eyes caught a glimpse of the rugby ball spinning its way through the air towards her seemed to amuse her friends, who sat off to the side and laughed as they watched the chaos ahead. Mickie, caught off-guard and suddenly stressed out, was all too grateful when strong arms appeared in front of her to catch the ball just two inches away from her shocked face.

Recovering quickly, she glanced at Christian and Chris, who both decided to chuckle politely amongst themselves as they sat and stared at the look on her face. "Were you trying to get me killed by any chance?!"

Christian gave the answer, sniggering in the meantime. "Hey, you're the one who offered to go to the cafeteria to get some food for us—how were we to know that by doing this nice deed you'd walk obliviously through the middle of a game? It's practically suicide."

"Yeah." Ted added, tossing the ball he'd just saved in his hands for a moment or two before throwing it back to Cody on the far end of the pitch. He turned to her again, winking. "You've gotta be more careful."

She softened, but only by a small margin. How was she supposed to know that sweet little Cody Rhodes—who, on first glance, she saw warming up for an impromptu game—would decide to make an impressive first throw at the very same moment she crossed the grounds? She'd been paying attention to getting to the pathway and nothing else.

"Fine." She grumbled in defeat. At his knowing smirk, she gave a half-smile of her own, unable to stop the tug of her lips. "Let's just pretend this never happened, okay?"

He opened his mouth to respond, only to be cut off by Chris, who proceeded to yell, "No can do, Micks! We'll forever cherish this moment and remind you every day of the hilarity of it all. Such good times, don't you think?"

They collapsed into fits of laughter not a second too soon afterwards, and high-fived one another as they started to imitate the recent incident. The girl, watching them through narrowed eyes, began to wonder why she was friends with them in the first place; she was clearly placed in their care just for a source of amusement.

"Ah, don't worry about them," said Ted, even though he himself seemed to be toying with the idea of laughing. Distracting her from this, he pressed a light hand over her shoulder, pulling her closer into his almost breathless frame. "If you want it to be forgotten it'll be forgotten. Okay?"

_Do not, under any circumstances, blush. Don't even think about it, Mickie._

"Thank you. That's sweet." She managed to answer coyly, and casually shrugged away his touch as she walked on. "I'll be back in a few minutes."

"Try not to get knocked out on the way there—and back too!" Christian called out when her back was turned.

She stopped for a moment, contemplating whether to turn back and kick him where the sun didn't shine, but then decided not to waste the effort. She was sure there would be many more times in the future when the temptation would arise once more.

Her clear state of mind returned as soon as she was alone, and she scolded herself for feeling a certain way around the DiBiase kid. She almost willed for her obvious crush on him to go away; she had a feeling they were meant to be just friends, and feeling the butterflies racing around in her stomach each time he so much as touched her certainly ruined the illusion. She wanted him to be around for her, and he almost always was when she had a problem, but nothing more could go on between them.

Today, she realized as she disappeared into the throngs of students travelling to and fro between classes, hadn't been so bad. It'd certainly been easier than the last, in which she had spent most of her time in her room accompanied by Ashley, who seemed even more depressed in herself than usual. She'd wasted her time worrying about her best friend as usual, only to be hit with a sharp, "I'm fine!" answer after finally asking if she was okay.

No, today, so far, had been fun. She'd had nothing to worry about because the day was spent without them; it was wonderful to wake up this morning and remember she had no morning classes scheduled, and she could therefore spend the day with friends who were enjoying the same luxury. The mysterious Trish Stratus had finally been introduced by Chris, and a brief conversation between them before the blonde's class had shown her exactly the reason why both guys had fallen for her; she was beautiful and in a league of her own. She had a feeling they would be friends soon enough.

For now, she was having fun hanging out with her current ones. Upon entering Ted's dorm this morning, she was introduced—a second time—to his roommate, Cody. He, by the looks of things, seemed to have other things on his mind as a random chick she vaguely recognized yelled at him from the corner of the room, demanding to know why he hadn't called her back, and was it because he had been with her best friend instead.

"Yes, he's that kind of guy." Ted told her just minutes after he'd had a good laugh and departed, having decided it was best to leave him to it and wait out on the football pitch for him. "Girls fall for his charm, and then wonder why they did a week later."

She'd called for Eve and Maria to join her for a friendly hang out, but the former had used her recent break-up as an excuse not to, and the redhead seemed too intent on staying inside her room to even think about being seen in public. She hadn't known quite what to make of that.

And Ashley...well, was there really any point in asking her?

A knot formed in Mickie's stomach as she entered the cafeteria. She knew she needed to talk to the blonde about the way she was dealing with Candice's affair—of sorts—with Adam; though trying her best not to seem so, the usually headstrong student was deeply affected by the sight her eyes rested on not so long ago. She was burying herself in coursework, as usual, but something definitely had to be done.

This was a responsibility she was ready to commit herself to; when had she ever given up on her before?

"Oh man," said someone's voice from behind her as she trailed the queue, searching specifically, lost in her own thoughts, for Christian's request. "You sure you don't want to come to the party on Saturday? I hear it's gonna be rad!"

"First of all, no-one says _rad_ anymore, Ryder." A familiar chuckle filled her ears and she stood still for a moment, trying to slow the sudden race of her heart. "And second...you're kidding me, right? Why would I want to hang around with a bunch of losers who think getting drunk is the greatest thing known to man?"

"Dude, I'm going to be one of those 'losers'."

"My point exactly."

"Whatever." The guy huffed, clearly eager to put his point across as he continued. "Thing is," he said, as Mickie tried desperately to focus on the fruit selection in front of her, "It's not just the beer you have to look forward to, my friend. What about the _girls?_"

He'd said it as though they were the holy grail. The former guy laughed again. "No thanks. I'm gonna have to pass. If there's one thing I don't want, it's to be dragged into taking some dumb drunk girl back to her dorm..."

The brunette couldn't bear to listen to anymore of the conversation. Just his voice had her anxious for an escape, and had her emotions playing up more than ever. She ran a hand through her long curls as she dropped everything she'd picked up and made a swift exit to the right.

She looked back once before leaving, right into Phil's stare. He must have seen her while she was leaving. Her heart beating like crazy, she swallowed lightly, and then quickly slipped away to break the eye contact.

* * *

The following two days were rough on Mickie.

Phil—or Punk, as she liked to call him—remained in her thoughts for a good while after that first sight of him, and it was hard to concentrate on anything or anyone other than her ex-boyfriend. Coursework was handled sloppily and brief chats were just that; brief, because she couldn't talk freely for more than a minute without being haunted by his image.

It didn't help for them to be in the same class. When they were together, she loved that they had so many classes together. It was always a great relief to walk inside the lab room and see Punk sitting there, his hood up and earphones plugged in as he blocked out the rest of the world; now, when she did see him, he was always vulnerable for conversation, with nothing to protect him—or more importantly, her—from the awkward silences.

More than ever, she wished she could do something about the seating arrangement, but everyone was so familiar with their places that she felt it was unnecessary to ask to swap with someone. It had been hard to sit so close to him and not be able to touch him, though. She wanted to—more than ever actually, she wanted to lean across and whisper something in his ear.

She'd been burying her feelings for him by spending time with Ted and the guys, but this class proved there was only so much hiding she could do. And when she wasn't hiding, it hurt her to know he found it so easy to ignore her. It was as if he'd already moved on.

She thought this particularly as she exited the room that afternoon, fresh yet weary from a two hour long lecture. She had been so unfocused in there that she lost both arguments in the debates she was given to present that day; highly competitive, it didn't even seem to bother her that her resolve was weakening.

"Hey you," smiled Eve as soon as she was out of the door, and linked her arm through Mickie's. "You look worn out."

"Unfortunately, I am." She answered, resting her head briefly on her friend's shoulder. She'd almost forgotten they had plans to study together in the library. "It sucks to remember there's more work to do."

"Well it is almost six." The Latina answered, her voice sympathetic. "I did say we could do this at the weekend—if you like, we still can. You look tired."

"I'm not tired really, just...frustrated. With myself. With everything."

"Oh God, it's one of those days is it? Well tell me all about it. I need a distraction from work...and Matt, anyway."

She offered a half smile. It was kind to be offered a shoulder to cry on, especially when the owner of said shoulder had much worse problems of her own. She took up the offer as soon as they were able to find a free table in the library. "It's Phil. It's Ted. It's...these feelings I can't seem to be able to distinguish."

"Look at you," said Eve jokingly, "Caught in a love triangle. Aren't you the lucky one?"

"If only I knew what lucky felt like. Maybe I did before, somehow." A small sigh passed through her slightly open lips. "It's like...what do you do when you really miss what you had with someone, but you can feel something happening with someone else? I can't make sense of it."

"The golden question, huh?" The brunette gave a hollow laugh. Scratching the back of her neck—always a sign of her discomfort—she shrugged and looked away, to the stacks of books to her right. "Mickie, I don't know. I wish I could tell you."

"Yeah, just as I thought."

Why were answers so hard to find?

She, too, looked out to the various range of books around her; it was funny, wasn't it? Non-fiction books had many answers and facts that couldn't be argued with, but knowledge on feelings of a personal level weren't ever written in permanent ink. Matters of the heart were far too complicated to be explained so easily, word for word, by the turn of a page.

Mickie only wished there were a simpler description for what she was going through.

"I think," Eve surprised her with the softness of her tone, "In the end...you just have to decide by how real it feels in your heart. Is it natural? Is it stronger than anything you ever felt? When you close your eyes, who do you picture? Who's staring back at you with the smile that makes you melt inside?"

"And how are you supposed to choose when you see both guys?"

"You're not seeing both Ted and Phil—your mind wants you too. You're allowing your thoughts to be controlled by logic when, in reality, your heart doesn't decide by logic. It...just wants what it wants, you know?"

She took this into account and looked away again. She caught a glimpse of The Miz and Layla, who walked by hand-in-hand. _They_ looked perfectly happy together, like they didn't have a care in the world. Why couldn't she just give in and feel the same way?

"So Mickie, who's got your heart?"

It was a question she couldn't answer—one her mind couldn't wrap its logic around. She waited and waited, thinking about it for a long time. Who was better for her? Who did she _really_ like? Why was the answer so hard to find?

Eve cut in a moment later, a sad smile on her lips. "Remember, don't consult your thoughts on this. Just _do_."

And surprisingly enough, the answer came to her no longer than ten seconds later. The faintest of smiles crossed her features as she realized the answer she'd been neglecting for so long; it was far too obvious to have been ignored, yet she'd been set on doing so.

"Would you excuse me?"

"Going to find your guy?" Eve's smile grew wider.

"Something like that, yeah."

Collecting her things together in a hurry, the student slipped out of the library doors and down the stairway to the main corridor. There she stepped outside, feeling the cool breeze as the sun dipped down to disappear until the morning. She was rushing on adrenaline alone, a fear that any more loss of time would stop her scenario from becoming true.

She remembered the familiar route as she ran, breathless as the cold wind whipped her hair out of her face and stung her cheeks. She almost smiled. It was time for her to make a change and stop worrying about protecting her feelings. This was the only way she could truly be happy.

And then, upon entering the spacious dorm, she saw _him._ Her breath caught in her throat as she watched him—it seemed to take him forever to find his key, patting his pockets while he tried to, until, finally, he was able to unlock the door and step inside. She heard him laugh at something his roommate was doing before the slam of the door alerted her back into reality.

She swallowed.

Who was she kidding exactly? She couldn't do it. She just couldn't.

So, after getting her breath back, she walked forwards, past the door and to the second one over on the right. Her head was clouded with thoughts of conflict as it was opened and she was presented with the sight of Cody Rhodes.

"Hey," she greeted him softly, rather feeling like she might want to cry for her cowardice move, "Is Ted there?"

"Yeah, sure." He nodded, moving aside to let her in. His brows furrowed in concern as he did so. "You okay, Mickie?"

"Oh yeah, fine." She answered. "Thanks for asking," she added. "I just...realized something that I wanted to do isn't possible, is all."

Cody didn't seem to know what to make of that answer, but nodded politely as he collapsed back onto his bed, dragging his laptop back onto his knees to finish the conversation he was having via email.

She only had to wait a moment before Ted appeared from the bathroom, having just put a decent amount of gel in his hair to tame it down. Pressing his hands against his jeans and wiping away what was left, he looked up, surprised by the company. "Hey..."

"Hi." She attempted a smile. The regret building up inside of her seemed to grip her for the time being. "I was just wondering if...if you wanted to hang out...or..."

She wasn't able to continue. The first tear splashed under her lash, and dripped down onto her cheek. She would have wiped it away furiously as a natural move if she hadn't felt the walls come tumbling down, and her voice give way to a heavy sob. More tears followed, blurring her vision as Ted came over to her.

"Hey, hey," he spoke softly, pressing a hand against her cheek, "What's wrong?"

After a moment, she shrugged, almost whispering, "I don't know."

But she knew perfectly well and allowed her negative thoughts to get the better of her as he stood confused for a moment, and then wiped away her tears with his thumb. They kept pouring through, unable to be stopped.

"I don't know what's wrong," said Ted after another moment as he stared into her brown eyes comfortingly, "but you know I'm here for you. Right? I'm always going to be here for you."

And that seemed to be the problem.

Still, Mickie allowed herself to be pulled in by his arms, and pressed her head against his chest as she let her emotions run wild within her. As he stroked her hair and soothed her, she just knew that this wasn't where she wanted to be.

Ted DiBiase wasn't who she wanted to be with this evening.

* * *

So there's the next chapter. Please review :)

Up next is **the girls' **chapter.


	25. Change, Change Everywhere

The Great Escape

_AN._ Thank you to **xHalosandwings, RKO.I.F, Chain Gang Princess, imlikeeayeebaybay, Grits0205, VolcomStoneBabe, xTwistedxImperfectionx, Katie2007, Cena-Wilson-Crazy, TJ Sparkles **_&_ **Nessa **for reviewing the last chapter.

Thanks very muchly :)

Chapter Twenty-Five – Change, Change Everywhere

* * *

**THE GIRLS**

* * *

"...And then Layla told him the reason she hadn't been able to complete the assignment was because she had a family emergency to deal with. You could see he was wary, but eventually he accepted the excuse. It took all I had not to laugh out loud; I mean, we both knew she was too busy hooking up with Miz to concentrate, right? She's been slutting about with him so much recently..."

Lips pressed tenderly against the green straw of her drink, Maria forced herself to nod as she took a slurp of her Starbucks drink. She and Michelle were spending their free afternoon together, and were _supposed_ to be sharing a deep, meaningful conversation; in reality—while the latter of the two believed they were casual and cool—the other girl was trying desperately to keep up with the facade.

Especially considering all her thoughts were focused on the kiss she shared with Randy Orton just a few days ago.

That damn kiss. Why did it have to be so wonderful and keep reminding her of what could have been the start of a magical relationship? Why did _she_ have to remind herself to avoid him after each class in order to fight the urge that told her just to grab him and kiss him? More importantly, why couldn't she quell the desire she felt with every thought of him?

Each question seemed to point to the same answer: Michelle McCool.

"Maria?" Her voice cut softly into her thoughts just a moment later, and a hand was waved in front of her face. "Are you okay?"

Snapping back into reality once more, she turned to face her friend, a sympathetic expression masking her features. "Oh, yeah...sorry about that. I keep blanking out, I know—it's just...you know, important tests next week."

"Don't worry, I understand." She rolled her eyes playfully, and spoke again after taking another sip of her chilled drink. "I don't think it'll feel like Christmas until I'm actually home again."

"I know, right? It's like they just want to pile all these exams on us before the break just to remind us of what we're going back to." The redhead giggled. Flicking back a few curled strands of her bangs, she stared out at the campus grounds again. "But I have to say...as much as I love this place, I'm looking forward to heading home for a couple of weeks. I've been feeling homesick recently."

"I think everyone has, really. Though I..." Michelle paused for a moment, biting down on her bottom lip. It was only after she was prompted to continue that she did. "Though I wonder what it's going to be like. Randy and I have been a couple over the holidays for so long. It's going to be so weird going home and telling my parents about the split—they still don't know. I didn't have the heart to tell them...to tell them the dream couple they've spent forever making future wedding plans for is no longer together."

As she adopted a look of utter hurt, Maria found herself sympathetic for the second time today. She patted her friend's shoulder soothingly; it seemed like the blonde wasn't getting over Randy Orton, not just yet anyway, and needed all the support she could get in the difficult task of doing so.

"Speaking of Randy, have you heard from him?"

The question was spoken ever so casually, but was tinged with a polite need to know. She thought she noticed this but soon shrugged it off in a _What-am-I-thinking? _way. "No, sorry. I see him in class but that's about the only time—even then, we're not really allowed to have conversation. I'm too busy focusing on the class anyway."

This wasn't entirely true. Feeling bad for lying like that, she sucked in a breath, trying but failing to get her mind not to think about their classes together. Randy always sat behind her in each, his presence ever obvious whenever she attempted to focus—much too hard—on the professor standing just twenty feet away from her.

But his presence was too strong to resist and more often than none, she found herself peeking a glance at him when notes were meant to be taken instead. In the odd moment that he caught her eye, looking up to find her eyes stuck on his face, she would simply bite her lip anxiously and turn back to the front.

There were things that definitely needed to be sorted out between them, but she simply couldn't bring herself to talk to him privately. Not when Michelle needed her more than ever, anyway.

Michelle's smile ebbed away the guilt she felt. "Don't worry about it, Maria. You two were friends but I don't expect you to keep up with it out of loyalty."

She hooked a brow, somewhat confused. "What do you mean?"

"Well...correct me if I'm wrong, but when I was introduced into the picture, I brought you and Randy closer together. You were friends before but you hanging out with me got you to know him a little better. So...what I'm saying is, you don't have to see him anymore now that we're not together."

"Oh okay, I think I can understand." Maria nodded.

She understood perfectly. Michelle thought she and Randy were only friends because she was the deciding factor in their relationship staying intact. But she was certain of a fact that perhaps her friend didn't know: her and Randy were close friends more than anything, and a break-up between the favourite couple wasn't going to change that.

_Maybe our kiss will._ She thought dejectedly. _Now that I've given him mixed signals, that ought to do it, huh Maria?_

"So what are your Christmas plans then?"

"Oh. Well I thought I'd spend it with my family, obviously, and then—"

The girl was to be interrupted when Jeff walked up to them, greeting both students with a lazy wave and a nice smile. Michelle nodded in response while Maria grinned, that infectious smile warming her friend's own expression.

"Hey Jeff!" She greeted him enthusiastically. She hadn't seen or spoke to him in quite a while, and it surprised her now by how much she'd been neglecting him in favour of other problems. "What's up?"

"Can we talk please...in private?"

The semi-serious look he offered her had her confused for a moment, and she turned to excuse herself, only to find Michelle was already waving her away. Jeff took her by the arm and walked them both along a familiar route, towards the patch of grass they'd sat on quite early in the semester, when the sight was new and they were gathering all the glorious images of college with fascinated eyes.

There, he sat her down. "Eve told me about Randy."

Sighing, Maria couldn't help but to shake her head. "Of course she did. I told her that in confidence, you know."

"But you know you can trust me so it's all good, yeah?"

"I'm sorry for not telling you about what happened between us, Jeff." She apologized—even as he laughed at her, she still felt annoyed with herself. "It's just been...hectic recently and I didn't know what to make of it myself. I _still_ don't know what to make of it."

"I'm not hurt that you didn't tell me. I'm sure you would have done eventually. But this is you we're talking about," he nudged her playfully, "and we both know that your head is stuck up in the clouds on most days." They both shared a soft laugh. "All I want to know is, are you happy with him?"

She took a moment to think about the question. To _really_ think about it. Away from his probing gaze, she stared out at the campus grounds—if someone had told her she'd be facing these problems just a few months into her stay, she would have laughed in their face. "I know I could be." She nodded eventually, the faintest of smiles crossing her lips as she turned back to him. "Jeff, I really like him. He's like...I'm not going to say perfect, but he's right for me. You know? I think I may be in love with him."

He nodded back, then waited for another moment or two. Taking in a quick breath, he allowed a smile to tug at his lips. "So why are you still hanging out with Michelle and acting like nothing happened between you and Randy?"

"Because," she whined, "Michelle is a good friend of mine! Why doesn't anyone understand that? I can't betray her by going after her boyfriend just days after they split up."

"_Ex_-boyfriend, Kanellis. And from what Eve told me, he was the one who went after you. So don't deny yourself of happiness just because you feel guilty. You deserve this more than anyone I know."

"That's sweet." She told him. "But...I just don't know. It would feel so wrong. Well...it feels right being with him, but I just don't think I can do it to her. She's so deeply in love with him and I'd feel like a complete bitch if I—"

"Owned up to your feelings and allowed _yourself_ a moment of happiness?" He hooked a brow in her direction. She sighed, deflating. "C'mon Maria, she'll understand. Who is she to mess with true love, huh?"

She shook her head lightly. She simply couldn't see herself breaking her close friend's heart, even if it led her to a brand new relationship, and one she wanted. It wasn't in her to be so callous—she'd rather see the blonde happy, squashing her chance to be, than heart-broken once more.

"Hey," she suddenly piped up when something came to mind, "Candice came to speak to me in the library awhile ago. She said something intriguing."

"Oh yeah? What's that?"

"She said you'd already moved on way before her." Brows furrowed in confusion, she shrugged. "Do you know what that means?"

Jeff looked down for a moment. She could have sworn to have seen him smile softly at the ground. Then, as if he'd never made the gesture, he glanced back up, into her eyes. "Don't you worry about it. I think we should focus on you and the matter of Randy Orton."

"You're hiding something from me...but whatever, it's okay." A beat later, she cracked a grin. "You're so persistent, you know that? I love that about you."

As she rested her head lightly on his shoulder, peering out to the throngs of students passing them on that warm afternoon, Jeff gave a chuckle. "And I love you, too," he muttered, but mainly to himself.

* * *

As soon as she reached her dorm room, Mickie took to the daily ritual of bumping her head, albeit softly, against the closed door that led into it. She repeated the gesture for a moment longer than usual, twirling around the single gold key in her hand as she did so; more than anything, she wanted to erase the day she'd just had. Knocking out a few brain cells would have to do as well.

"You losing your mind too?"

Caught in the act, she stopped quickly, brushing wisps of her brunette hair away from her face as she angled her head to look at the visitor. She found Adam staring back at her, unsurprisingly enough. She offered a tiny, polite smile. "You could say that."

Truth be told, she _was_ losing her mind. If she had to look at Punk one more time and then have to remind herself he wasn't hers to look at, she seriously didn't know what she would do. Her heart quite literally hurt with each glance at him; was it supposed to be so difficult to move on from a previous relationship? Surely she was supposed to have forgotten all of his traits by now, and not remember them so avidly. Right?

She didn't know. What did she know about the opposite sex? Absolutely nothing.

Cradling the key in her hand, she nodded to Adam. "Sorry about Ashley—she's acting more stubborn than usual."

This was true. It was coming to a point where she was rather worried for her best friend. Ever since the blonde had found out about he and Candice, she'd locked herself away from any real emotion and kept to herself—more than ever, it seemed. She was intent on living her own secluded life without any help from others.

"I take it she's not inside." He half-asked, half stated. It was a fairly obvious statement to go along with. "Of course she isn't. _Again._"

The brunette was beginning to feel very sorry for the guy. He was trying to make a huge effort to speak to her, and with every small opportunity he got, he blew it just by being near to her. She didn't allow him a single moment to explain himself; it was clear to everyone that she was completely through with him.

As sorry as Mickie felt for him, she also admired him. Adam wasn't giving up on her. He simply wouldn't let himself. If only she had the same courage and mind-set as him to deal with Phil...

Dejectedly, she offered a half-smile. "Sorry, Adam. Do you want me to leave a message for her? I can't promise she'll listen to me, or even acknowledge I've been talking to you, but I can try to—"

"Don't worry about it. Thanks for asking though," added the Canadian, and she nodded. "I'll just...try again later."

He began to walk away from her, a defeated air about him. She cocked her head to the side as she watched him. Her own thoughts, one in particular, wanted to prevent him from leaving; it was screaming out to her, begging her to finally let the facts be known to him.

"Wait!" She called before she could stop herself. He turned just a moment later, and she sighed warily as her eyes caught his. "...There could be something I could tell you. Well, there's something I _should_ tell you. About her, I mean. It might help your case to know."

"Sure," he shrugged, "Anything. What is it?"

"You'd better come inside."

As he followed her in and she shut the door, she had to pause for a moment. _Am I really doing this? Am I really about to betray Ashley's trust in me? _But she knew she had no other alternative—her friend needed help, and this was how she knew best how to give it.

Adam glanced cautiously around the room until his stare settled on Ashley's side of the room. A smile curved his lips before he could stop it; this was a typical Ashley mess, and he surprised himself with how well he knew her to know this.

"So..." He turned to find Mickie leaning against her desk, surveying her surroundings with a cold air about her. She was clearly uncomfortable with the topic at hand. "There's a reason—a solid one—as to why Ashley is the way she is. She doesn't like to play the bitch because she can...it's because she has to in order to protect herself."

Eyes narrowing in concern, he shrugged. "What are you talking about?"

"Okay," she clasped her hands together firmly, "I'm going to tell you something, Adam, and I'm going to trust you not to talk to anybody else about it. It's something fairly big about Ashley, and if she ever found out I was telling you about this, I know she'd kill me."

"Must be pretty spectacular. You have my word, Mickie. What is it?"

She felt her own emotions begin to stir. Though she was hesitant to tell the painful story to a new person, she knew it would do her good to air some of her opinions on the matter. It was a way of release and, having never been able to get Ashley to open up on the situation after it happened, it could only help her to re-tell the story to someone else. Furthermore, she trusted Adam. He would understand, she knew.

"Back in high school, Ashley was raped..." It was the easiest way to begin the story. The look of shock that spread across his face, a look so unfamiliar to his person, told Mickie that she was doing the right thing by letting it out into the open. This only prompted her to move on with the story, before she lost all the nerve she had to do so. "It was by some guy she was in love with at the time. He pressured her into sex and when she said she didn't want to do it, he...well, he forced her."

"Fucking prick." He uttered, folding his arms over his chest. This explained so much about her. Almost too much. "So she's never recovered?"

"I'm not sure how you do. That night...when _it_ happened...I held her in my arms for the entire night. We'd never been so close as we had then." The memory returning to her, she looked down, swallowing lightly. "She was just shaking everywhere. She was wide-eyed, unable to go to sleep. I'd never seen her so helpless. And I just felt so, so bad.

"And then, of course, she started blaming herself for it. She said if she hadn't led him on none of this would have happened. It killed me to hear her speak that way about herself. It was far from her fault, but she was intent that it was _her_ fault. It wasn't right."

"Has she stopped blaming herself now?"

"I think she knows she has too." She nodded. "But she won't speak to me about it. Not at all. Whenever the subject comes up she just closes down. She thinks she's already dealt with the problem when, in reality, she's just ignoring it. I'm worried for her, Adam. And I really don't know what to do about it."

An uncomfortable silence passed between them as she was allowed time to recover from telling the traumatic story and he was given it to process all the new information. Both were upset with what they had to deal with; the facts were just so blindingly there and unavoidable.

"How about..." A new voice followed the pause and both turned suddenly, hearts racing as Ashley came into view from the now open door. Her key was still in the lock, her gaze balancing in-between the two. There was no sarcasm etched on her face. Merely hurt. "How about you go behind my back and tell the one person I really don't want to know my worst secret?"

Mickie instantly took a step forward, her defences up. "Ash, listen to me. I _had_ to tell him—I knew you weren't going to."

"And why do you think that is, Mickie?" The blonde questioned. She ignored Adam as he opened his mouth to defend the brunette, and simply stared at her best friend in disbelief. "And why do you think it's _your_ business to tell anyone, let alone him, what happened in _my_ past?"

There was another moment of silence.

Then, Ashley seemed to explode with emotion. Slamming her key down on the table, she glanced around the room wildly, her eyes filling with unshed tears as she tried—tried _so hard_—to understand what was going on. But she couldn't. Never did she think this would happen. And with this in mind, she pressed her hands on either side of her head and pushed, as if trying to contain herself from something misunderstood.

"You know," she muttered eventually, turning into their horrified looks, "I never thought...I never thought my best friend, my _fucking_ best friend, could be such a _BITCH!"_

Tears filled in Mickie's eyes, too, and she took another step forwards towards her. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry! But I had to tell—"

She was cut off almost immediately.

Ashley raised her hand before she knew what she was doing, and slapped the taste out of the brunette's mouth. It took her only half a minute to realize what she'd done and, as she stared at Mickie, who'd recoiled into a shy posture while her curls protected her hidden face, she blinked away her tears.

"Mickie, are you okay?" Adam asked, in total shock of the events. He turned to the other girl in the room and shook his head. "What the hell's wrong with you? She was only trying to help!"

Why was she being made to feel like she was in the wrong? She'd _trusted_ Mickie with her secret, and now it had been given away. To him. Just like that. "Go to hell!" She yelled at him as Mickie rushed past her, out of the door.

Adam followed and, just like that, Ashley was left alone to finally release her tears.

* * *

Eve snuck another peek at her phone as she turned away from her coursework. Was it crazy to imagine Matt's name flashing up on the screen, alerting her of his ever-existent presence with a call? Or was she simply not coming to terms with her recent break-up?

A sigh escaped her lips.

She missed him. She missed everything about him. While she knew a relationship on long-distance grounds would never work out between them, she couldn't help but to question what would have happened had they never broken up. They both loved one another and cared for each other; was it really so complicated to deal with?

And why was she being reminded about what she lost each time she saw The Miz and Layla pass by? Mike didn't fool her in the slightest—his 'very much in love' act somewhat amused her, actually. But she could also tell he was really trying to like Layla like he'd liked her.

She felt that, given time, a genuine relationship could form between the two. She didn't quite know how she felt about it; it would take a while to absorb the information.

For now, she felt rather alone. It was hard to be without a boyfriend, and the sympathy given from Mickie and Maria was too much to bear. It wasn't the end of the world as they told her, she knew, but it still hurt to know that something she thought was so precious could be torn apart so easily.

A sudden knock at the door distracted her from the depressing thought. She stood to her feet, all too grateful for whoever was standing behind it. She needed an interruption to her hardly wonderful life.

"...Ashley?" But the last person she expected to see was staring back at her when she finally answered to the call. "What are you doing here—and why have you got your stuff with you?"

"Alright, I already talked to Maria about this and she agreed." The blonde spoke in a rush, her eyes red from crying. Eve had never seen her like this before. Concerned, she listened to Ashley lick her lips before saying, "So if it's okay with you, can I be your new roommate?"

* * *

As I told you on Twitter, some major shit just went down ;) Hope you liked it!

Up next is **Ashley's **chapter. (I've already written it out so review if you want the chappie up quickly!)


	26. Those Three Scary Words: Ashley

The Great Escape

_AN._ Thank you to **xHalosandwings, Cena-Wilson-Crazy, VolcomStoneBabe, TJ Sparkles, Grits0205, jojocheer28, xTwistedxImperfectionx, Cocoa, HappySmiler, Chain Gang Princess, RKO.I.F **_&_ **rory21** for reviewing the last chapter.

Thanks very muchly :)

Chapter Twenty-Six – Those Three Scary Words

* * *

**ASHLEY**

* * *

Eve's wide-eyed expression—one that suggested she was freaking out both on the inside and out—was really beginning to grate on Ashley's nerves. Even as she hauled the last of her things inside, with no help from her roommate it was to be noted, all she could think about doing was shoving her until she stopped gaping at her. Fortunately for the girl, she was far too busy unpacking her things to cause any real damage.

"Would you stop that?!" She exclaimed, aiming a glare in her direction instead. "I'm not that freaking scary to live with, alright?"

The brunette appeared to regain her speech after a moment or two, and wearily began picking at the box closest to her. It was filled to the brim with black items and for this alone, she grimaced. "You know, I have a feeling this room is about to get a whole lot more emo."

"What is it with you people and emo? You know it's just short for emotional, right? That's all it is—that means basically everyone is emo."

"Doubtful. You're depressingly emo. I, on the other hand..." Pausing for a moment, Eve points to herself proudly, "am cheerful enough on most days to wear a smile. You know what a smile is, right Ash?"

The blonde merely rolled her eyes as she stood upright once more, flinging a few of the clothes in her arms onto her new bed. Placing her hands on her hips, she admired the new mess for a moment—yes, she had a feeling it wouldn't be so difficult to fit in here. A little less pink and a little more dark colouring would suit her just fine.

Brushing away a few short strands of her dirty-blonde hair, she thought about what to unpack next. She wanted to do this move-in business properly; if it was possible to scatter everything she owned across the place by this evening then she would do it, as it would provide her with something to finally smile about.

Away from Mickie James, away from the unnecessary drama in her life.

"So, erm," started Eve just a moment after her presence had been forgotten, "How long are you planning on staying for? It's just that...well, don't take this the wrong way...but I hate your guts."

A soft smirk curved the side of her lips as she looked in her direction. "Right back at ya, Torres—and just until I can figure out what to do. I need to know how to sort out the situation."

"Here's an idea. Why don't you just talk to Mickie about what happened?"

A snarl passed out of her mouth before she had the chance to stop it. Her expression hardening, she forced herself to turn away from the probing stare; the idea of going to talk to her best friend—or former now, all things considering—was preposterous. Why couldn't anyone seem to realize what she was going through? Why didn't anybody know why she reserved the right to be angry?

"It was just a suggestion." Eve muttered under her breath as she collected her jacket from her bed. "To tell you the truth, I think all of this could easily go away with one conversation."

"Really? Well let me know when Maria reveals your darkest secret to someone you hardly know, mkay? Then you can tell me how it feels to be betrayed."

"Whatever. I'm heading out to the store. D'you want anything?" After waiting a moment, only to get a frustrated sigh in return, the brunette rolled her eyes and stepped outside. "Just a glass of poison for me? Okay, can do."

Ashley pretended like she hadn't just heard the insult as she moved over to the corner of the room, unloading one of the boxes and finding herself pleasantly surprised as she realized she _had_ remembered to take all of her CDs. She pulled the newest of her collection, _Artwork; The Used_, into her hand and studied it for a moment. Flipping the cover over to read the back, she smiled.

She could cope as long as she had the most important thing in her life: music.

But she felt her smile drag unwillingly into a frown as the last conversation involving the CD came to her mind.

"_Let me get this straight. You don't __**know**__ who The Used are?! First, you're shy around guys and have no idea what to do but stand there like a bumbling fool...and now you're telling me you don't know who my favourite band ever is?"_

"_Well. They're kinda..." Mickie paused for a moment, glancing skywards as she stuffed her hands into her pockets awkwardly. "Like...the screaming kind, right?"_

_Ashley shook her head in disbelief. "Where did I go wrong with you? You have to listen to them sometime, you know—I just can't believe this. You seriously need to listen to some more music. I mean __**my**__ kinda music by the way, not all this popular crap around."_

"_I'll have you know that I'm quite well informed of your preferences otherwise." The brunette nodded defiantly. After a pause, in which she was prompted to continue, she slowly opened her mouth. "Well there's...erm, Breaking...Romance? And how about...My Chemical...Benjamin? No, that doesn't sound right..."_

_The blonde scoffed, fighting the urge to laugh._

"_No, no! There's also, erm, You Me At...do I want to say Dinner? No, not right? Okay. Well how about Three Days of a Deadman? That could be—"_

"_Just stop talking already!" The blonde laughed, shoving her friend. Caught off-guard, the petite girl stumbled into a tree, causing a patch of leaves to flutter into her hair and around her. "Ha, you're hopeless, Mickie."_

"_I'd just like to say," said Mickie, only to pause to spit out a leaf. After expressing a particular look of disgust at the taste, she moved on, "That you have to make an exception for me not knowing all of your favourite bands."_

"_Oh really? I do?"_

"_Yes, of course. Ash, I'm your best friend. The most important person to ever enter into your life. The one person who's put up with your crap, especially the bashing of __**my**__ favourite music. I'm the person who made you more awesome...and I guess you could say more sociable with others. Before I met you, you were untouchable. Now people can walk up to you and say hello without feeling like they're about to get knocked out. Isn't that something?"_

"_Yeah, I don't know whether to thank you or hate you for that." A beat later, she laughed, wrapping an arm around her best friend's shoulders loosely and pulling her in for a side-hug. "But yes, you're right. Mickie James, I owe you for a lot."_

"_Yes." The brunette looked self-righteous. "You certainly do."_

_A playful roll of the eyes kept the good times rolling for at least another fifteen minutes. It was with a silent pleasure that they thought about how much they meant to one another; this friendship was truly special to both, and would always be cherished in the most subtle way._

Eyes blurring back onto the vision of the _Artwork_ cover, Ashley saw her stoic expression staring back at her in her reflection. She hastily dropped the CD, stepping as far away from it as possible, and turned to look around again.

"This is a new start," she muttered to herself in an unconvincing tone, "and it's time to look to the future. Forget about the past."

Was it really that easy? Even as she collapsed across her new bed, she knew that, no, it wouldn't be easy. She didn't even know if it was possible to forget about the ever-recent past. Once again she'd set herself the task of fulfilling the impossible. It simply wasn't going to happen.

Sighing, she rolled over onto her side and curled up into a foetal position. She knew she had to get used to the facts: Mickie had told the one secret she didn't want anybody to know. Adam now knew why she was so guarded and just how twisted she was because of it.

_Everything is ruined._

This thought eventually led her to drift into a light sleep.

* * *

A faint knocking sound awoke Ashley from her mid-afternoon nap. She stirred for a moment, unsure if her perception of the noise was really just a part of a stretched-out dream, before realizing that, no, she wasn't still sleeping. Something—or more accurately, someone—had awoken her, and now her brain was awake enough to register the interruption.

Grimacing, she swung her feet to the floor, her tired eyes sweeping over the unfamiliar desk of colourful frilled items on the bedside table. No matter how many times she reminded herself, she knew it would take her awhile to get used to living in a new room. The change was far too big not to acknowledge.

_If this is Mickie,_ she thought before she could stop the image of the brown-haired girl coming to mind, _she can just turn right around and go back to her room. It's been a wasted journey for her._

Bitter couldn't possibly sum up how she now felt. Reminded of her best friend's betrayal once more, she stalked over to the door, almost willing the visitor to be her so they could have it out. She had several things she wanted to get off of her chest and most of them were insults she couldn't wait to use.

How could Mickie do this to her?

Swinging it open, the blonde found herself surprised when a male figure greeted her instead. Unmistakably, the person who was greeting her wasn't her former friend, after all; it was Adam Copeland, who, it seemed, was about to walk away before she made her presence known.

"Damn it." She muttered inaudibly as he stared at her, a little stunned himself. He clearly hadn't expected to be given the time of day. "I should have just pretended not to hear you."

The Canadian stared back at her. For a moment, it seemed like he didn't know what to say. She wasn't, like he expected, forcing him to leave or shutting the door in his face. She stared at him expectantly. She was waiting for him to say something.

"We need to—"

"Go to hell." She cut him off deftly and attempted to slam the door to split them apart.

"Oh," started the guy as he blocked it easily with his foot, using his hand to push it open again, "So you thought you'd actually _wait_ until I said something before you closed the door on me, huh?"

She merely rolled her eyes. She gave off the vibe that his presence was just a weary challenge. "Why don't you go and screw some other dude's girlfriend and leave me alone, okay?" Looking away, she glanced around the room, though her fingertips still pressed tentatively against the wood.

He grabbed her arm to break the hold, forcing her back into his stare while pulling her in. The sudden gesture seemed intense for both parties. "So, what...is this it? Is this what you _want_—me to start seeing other people so I don't bother you anymore?"

"Yes, that's what I want!" She answered confidently enough, her breathing unsteady for just a moment before she flicked her hair back, suddenly brave in herself. "I want you to leave me alone. Hell, maybe then _I'll_ find time to go on a few dates myself. You know, screw my way through the opposite sex like you seem to do so easily."

"Oh please," he almost spat at her, caught up in the argument all too easily, "You'd have to actually be willing to trust a guy to be in your company. Oh, and to trust yourself, which is unlikely to happen. Let's just face it, Ashley: you're not going to pay the slightest bit of attention to any other guy."

"And how would you know? I'm sorry, do you think you know me or something?" The frustration that pulsed through her veins took over all the numb senses she'd felt at his touch beforehand, and transformed her into another version of her stubborn, cold self. A more concentrated version. "If you're into me as much as you claim, then wouldn't you want me to be happy? It's a cliché way of showing someone that you _love_ them, after all. I'm sure I could find someone nice for me—what then? Wouldn't you leave me alone because I'm happy?"

"No, I wouldn't! And you know why?" Letting go of her, Adam lifted his hands into the air in frustration, and then ran them tightly through his tangled hair. "Because I am too fucking selfish to let you go!" She swallowed lightly, suddenly stuck for words as his eyes caught hers once more. "There, that's the truth." He began a little more calmly. "I know you're right for me, Ash. You're the girl for me. And I'm not going to let you out of my sight for even a minute. I'm sorry, it's not going to happen."

She could feel a headache coming on. Allowing herself to look away from his stare, she placed her hands on her hips and focused on trying to get her breath back. How had she wasted so much time on him? She'd lost herself to him. _Again._

"If you're looking for a way out of me chasing after you, you're not going to get one." He shook his head firmly, trying but unable to catch her eye. "I was deadly serious when I told you I liked you—"

"You never said that to me." She argued back, softly in comparison to her hard exterior.

He almost chuckled. Trust her to never settle. She was afraid, and now he knew just how much. "Either way, Ash, I'm serious about being with you. You of all people should know that I'm not joking when I tell you...that you're the only girl I've ever felt this way about. Y'know...you make me angry, you frustrate me and sometimes you make me want to knock you out boxing style." He paused. At the small giggle that slipped through her lips, he smiled; she truly was beautiful when she allowed herself to enjoy life. "But it's those annoying things about you that make me like you so much. That make me _love_ you."

No man had ever told he loved her before. Not even Jason when she was wildly in love with him, and thought that he felt the same way too. And now, surprising herself with the reaction of relief, she could finally rest knowing she was a loveable person. She was able to be loved, and it wasn't impossible.

But...

Fragile couldn't even begin to describe the shell she'd wrapped herself up tightly in. She could neither say nor do anything to make this situation okay; the blonde was unwilling to trust herself or him to let something happen. She couldn't bring herself to. After all she'd been through with Adam, it didn't seem possible that he was in love with her.

How could he be?

"You have that glare in your eyes each time I see you. It's your defence mechanism, your back-off warning." He was now smiling at her, daring to take a step closer. "Of course, it only irritates you that I don't leave you alone...but I think you secretly take comfort in the fact I'm there for you to talk to. That can be our little secret."

There was a moment of silence. She bit down on her bottom lip, unsure of whether to look away to make this less painful or to stay put, intent on seeing it through to the end.

"You also..." He stopped for a moment, smiling to himself as a memory evidently came to mind. "You also have this way about you. You show yourself as a strong, independent woman, so different to everybody else in the way you act, in the music you listen to and in your personal tastes. You're so eager for everyone else to believe you're someone untouchable. But we both know you're not. You and I are more alike than you'd like to think. These ways...the way you bite your lip when you're focused, the way you roll your eyes when you're mad at me or the world, the way you make a big heated fuss about the smallest thing that bothers nobody else...they're all so amazingly _you._ And as much as they frustrate me, I wouldn't change a damn thing. You're just so imperfectly perfect, Ashley Massaro. Thing is, you don't even realize it."

_Please stop._ For once, she thought what she felt she ought to say. Before she could stop herself, tears glistened in her eyes, suddenly blurring her vision. She blinked them away quickly. _You need to stop, Adam._

He didn't. "And you think people are incapable of loving you. In fact, you go out of your way to make sure they can't—but let me tell you, it only draws them in. Me included. I've been chasing you for months now and I haven't given up on you; it's taken me too long to realize that I simply can't. You see, I get this image of you in my mind...your brows creased, that glare of hatred in your eyes, your punk rocker style standing out so strongly as you stalk away from me...and, I suppose, I've fallen in love with that image. By pushing me away, you're only drawing me closer to you.

"For a while, that image wasn't there. It was replaced with another of you, when you caught me with Candice. You looked so...hurt, so vulnerable. It was like it wasn't you staring back at me. But that was when I knew you cared. About me, about us. Even though you insisted we had nothing in common, that I was only playing you...it was all a lie, wasn't it? We're pretty much perfect together and it took you a scene like that to realize you felt the connection too.

"And I am sorry for what I did to you. I'm sorry I led you to believe you're just a game to me. Truth is, you're not. You're the furthest thing away from it. I mean, I'm pouring out my heart and soul here—you're the only girl I've ever loved. _Love_, in fact. You're beautiful. You're a bitch too, but you make it look so attractive. So...I'm sorry for dragging you into the deep end of relationships when you give off the vibe you'd rather be alone, but we both know you don't. You want to be with me just as much as I do with you.

"So how about you trust those instincts, huh? Because I'm nothing like the douchebag from your past. Mickie only told me about him because you never would. Now that I know about him, I know I can never be the same with you again. You mean too much to me. I don't think you understand just how important you are to me. And I'd never treat you the way he did. _Never._"

Ashley sucked in a breath as he closed his mouth for a moment. It was funny—she was forever trying to get him to shut up about one topic or another, but this time she'd been utterly enthralled in what he had to say. _This time_, things were based on a much more personal level between them. It was intense and meaningful, a far cry from their usual conversations and banter.

The things he'd just told her were made of fairytale stories. Each word was so beautiful to listen to, and so convincing too. If Maria had been the girl Adam was talking to, she would have already melted at his feet, captivated by the speech every romantic at heart wanted to hear.

But she wasn't Maria. She was Ashley Massaro, the non-believer when it came to things like these. They were simply too good to be true. They had to be.

"You're broken and vulnerable." He spoke again, a little softer than before. He pressed a palm against her warm cheek for a few tender seconds, and then brushed away the wispy strands of her hair from her face. "But I've discovered something about those traits. Just because you see these as seemingly negative things...it only makes you all the more special. There's a certain beauty in who you are, Ashley. I can finally see that for myself. And I want you to know...I'm in love with you for everything you are. You're beautiful in every single way."

The sad thing was, she knew he was telling the truth. She looked into those familiar eyes of his and saw the utter honesty in them. This forced her to come to terms with what he was saying, and to take a moment for herself to really think things through. She needed time alone.

She was never one to rush into things, even if the moment felt so perfectly right. But perfection wasn't even real, right? She knew this for herself. She thought what she had with Jason had been perfection...right up until the moment he'd taken her freedom away from her, and stripped her of the one thing that was rightfully hers. She could never take that moment back.

The blonde took a step away from him, surveying the room once more to get away from the sight of him. "I'm sorry," she found her voice at last, "I can't...I can't do this. I just can't."

A familiar feeling began to pulse through him again and it took all he had to restrain it. He'd just poured his heart out to the girl he loved for the first time—he had expected to receive a better reception than this one. "Just let yourself be happy, Ash. I know you could be. You and me, we'd be pretty much amazing together. All you have to do is _let yourself."_

The lump in her throat didn't seem to want to disappear. She swallowed it down time and time again, but eventually gave up. It wasn't going anywhere. "I'm going to need you to leave." She told him hurriedly. But even if it wasn't going, he sure could. "Please. Could you go?"

"What are you so afraid of?" He asked, placing both hands on her cheeks now, cupping her face as she tried desperately to look elsewhere. "Look at me!" He demanded, half-pleading. When she did so, he whispered once more, "What are you afraid of?"

"You _need_ to leave." Her voice rose in slight panic. Blinking away the tears that seemed to flow so easily down her cheeks, Ashley moved out of his grasp and towards the door. She held it open for him. "Just go. Now."

The Canadian stood still for a moment. He thought about it for a while, debating his options. Stay here and fight for her or leave as she wished. The former option seemed like the one he'd choose but...

Ashley Massaro was stubborn. He knew this much for himself. She'd only be willing to be with him if she trusted _herself. _And that was something, like it or not, that he knew he couldn't force her to do.

So he slowly headed towards the door, somewhat hurt as she purposely looked away when he passed her. The gentle close after he'd left told him all he needed to know: she was giving up on him. Maybe not forever, but certainly for tonight. That was enough to wound him emotionally.

Ashley leant against the door quietly. She was unsure whether he was still there or whether he'd strode away already, but she didn't care; letting herself go in her own privacy, she looked up at the ceiling and allowed the sobs to build up in her throat.

Adam closed his eyes as he leaned into the wall gently. He could hear her crying. He never thought a sound could be so painful to listen to.

So he walked away, unable to stay for a moment longer. He would go back to his dorm room with a first time experience of being the broken-hearted man.

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So there's the next chapter. Please review :)


	27. I'm Not Your Boyfriend, Baby: Eve

The Great Escape

_AN._ Thank you to **xHalosandwings, Grits0205, VolcomStoneBabe, xTwistedxImperfectionx, Chain Gang Princess, RKO.I.F, Cena-Wilson-Crazy, HappySmiler, jojocheer28, Lacey's Angel, TJ Sparkles **_&_ **John Cena's Field Hockey Star **for reviewing the last chapter.

Thanks very muchly :)

Chapter Twenty-Seven – I'm Not Your Boyfriend, Baby

* * *

**EVE**

* * *

Upon stepping back inside her dorm room a mere few hours after leaving it for classes, Eve had to remind herself, yet again, that she wasn't supposed to expect Maria staring back at her, a ready smile on her face while she asked how her day had been. Though a far cry from her best friend in terms of both looks and personality, she knew it was time to recognize Ashley as her new roommate, no matter how long or short her stay.

The sight of the blonde, completely oblivious as she lay in bed listening to her music player loudly and flicking through a magazine idly, didn't surprise her in the slightest. The utterly blank, uninterested look in her eyes was a first, though—even though she often sucked the joy out of everything, she often did it with at least a dangerous glint.

Heading towards her own bed, she looked away from the girl to focus on the untidy state of her duvet covers. She hadn't bothered to clean up before leaving—a habit she'd acquired from the other person in the room—and now most of the things she needed for studying were strewn about in various places. It was with a decisive sigh that she reached out, placing her textbooks down in order to gather everything else together.

With only the faint sound of AFI filling her surroundings, and silence otherwise, she certainly wished she was keeping up with the normal habit of talking to the redhead about what was going on in her life; perhaps after said chat she would be able to at least smile, though she doubted it given the topic, and not resist the urge to cry, as she was now, with all her pent-up emotions.

After eventually clearing away her things, she collapsed on her bed, pushing the curls of her brunette hair out of her face. She risked a glance to her right, a certain thought rising inside of her—would it be so difficult to pretend that Ash _was_ Maria?

As if sensing she was being stared at, the blonde turned her head and removed one white ear bud. "What?"

So perhaps it would be difficult. But what the hell did she have to lose, anyway? The worst that could happen was to end up being ignored, and even that was better than nothing. "So I ran into Mike today..."

"So?"

"He was with Layla. They looked so loved-up that it actually made me feel a bit sick."

"And?"

This clearly wasn't going to work. Ashley was only offering one-word retorts and half-assed looks; she clearly didn't care about her love life issues. Then again, she didn't blame her—she'd overheard Adam telling Mickie the events of the previous night in the cafeteria, and the sorry little story was enough to make anyone, even her, sympathetic towards them both.

"Why are you looking at me like that? It's starting to freak me out."

Tightening up her features, Eve sat a little more upright in her position. "Sorry, got distracted there. And I was only trying to tell you what I would usually tell Maria if we were still living together. If you like, ignore me."

Though Ashley turned away, she didn't put her ear bud back in. Clearly, she couldn't be that bothered to hear a mindless story that meant nothing to her, after all.

"Well..." The Latina began uncertainly. "I've been trying to pretend that seeing Mike with another girl isn't troubling me. In a way, I've even tried to convince myself that they don't have a real relationship together. But of course, that's ridiculous. They look perfectly happy together and—"

"You like him because he's unattainable. And vice-versa until about a week and a half ago."

She'd said it so simply that all Eve could do was blink in response. Eventually, she found it in herself to ask, "Excuse me?"

A weary sigh followed, as if the question needn't have been asked. "Mike chased you because you were a challenge. You were with Matt at the time, and yet it seemed like a dangerous and exciting thought to fool around with him in the meanwhile. Am I right? You basically got off on this affair and thought it was the real deal."

"But—"

"And now you've broken up with Matt and he's with Layla. You're not jealous because you're in love with him—you're jealous because you can't have him all to yourself whenever and wherever you like."

"And how do you," she suddenly felt defensive and indignant in herself, "know this for sure, Miss. Expert?"

"You and your damn questions," said Ashley, rolling her eyes as she flicked over to the next page of her magazine. "You and Matt were supposed to be love's young dream. You were supposed to have this big, strong connection that wouldn't break, even when you arrived here. But that relationship ended all too easily, didn't it? Despite all the promises you made it ended up meaning nothing. So what aren't you seeing?" There was a bitter edge to the blonde's tone as she lifted her ear bud again, preparing to block out the world once more. "Love is just an illusion. There's no such thing, it's not real."

Eve allowed her gaze to linger on her for a moment longer than necessary, just to take in all the information given to her, before she leaned back on her bed to analyze it for herself. She so desperately didn't want to believe her words—only wanted to blame her own experience for her harsh opinions—but she saw a small inkling of truth to them.

Was Ashley right?

Her feelings for Mike were nowhere near as strong as they were for Matt, and while that was expected, she also didn't think it would be easy enough to talk to Mike without bringing up their last conversation; granted he was still bitter towards her in his body language about the rejection, but she, herself, was mostly fixated on how much she missed her ex-boyfriend.

Matt Hardy. She hadn't known whether to call him or not since their last conversation—would it be strange just to ring up and see how he was doing? She cherished their conversations as well as everything about him, and it'd taken a break-up to realize just how much she was missing out on.

Two guys, one girl—never had she thought the classic scenario would apply to her.

And just what was she supposed to do with herself now?

Luckily, the familiar text tone of her phone was able to catch her off-guard, and she all too gratefully lunged for her bag. She definitely needed a distraction to prevent her from thinking about all the complicated questions swirling around in her head.

_Hey girly, how's it going with Ash? It's weird living with Mickie, but it's nice too! Just sending you this to check you know about the party at the big frat house tonight. I'm meeting up with Michelle. Will I see you there? M x_

She pounced at the first opportunity to reply. Her fingers fumbling over the keypad clumsily, she ignored the first question to say that, yes, she would see her there. This party was the perfect excuse to leave behind all of her depression, and she, being a specialist in having a good time, was certain this was just what she needed.

Smiling softly, she leaned back against the pillow propped up behind her. _Bring on tonight,_ she thought to herself excitedly.

* * *

Though she knew perfectly well that it wasn't a good idea to attend another party, especially when she had a morning class the next day, Eve still ambled up to the house with the most enthusiasm she'd felt all day. The chill of the night only served to hurry her inside, to where her friends would be waiting and a drink would be calling her name eagerly.

Her thoughts dangerously swayed over to Mike as she entered, and then to Ashley's words, too; would he be here tonight? Would Layla be with him? Would they, once again, be the picture of a perfect couple?

Thing was, she knew she could handle it—especially with a bottle of drink in her hand, or better yet, system. She saw them as fake, and if Mike was truly into her as he claimed, then he wouldn't have been so childish as to jump to the first girl who showed him interest.

A smile tugged at her lips as she spotted Mickie in the games room. The brunette was leaning against the fruit machine, a half-empty beer bottle in her hand as she watched Randy and Cody take turns to defeat the system.

She left the trio to it, turning into the next room and spotting Christian and Chris. Both were sharing a laugh together, as they often did, and she felt she didn't know them well enough to start up a conversation. So, leaving them to it, she brushed past with a friendly smile and headed to a much less scary party of people.

"Hey!" She greeted over the loud music, and was happy to receive an almost bone-crushing hug from her best friend in return. Jeff simply smiled at her, intent on keeping his cool and not, like his buddy, pretend that she'd just come back from a lengthy holiday. "How long have you been here?"

"About an hour," beamed the redhead, resting her arm on Jeff's shoulder. He didn't seem to mind. "Michelle's just gone to the dance floor with Layla. So how are you, girly? I feel like I haven't seen you in _so_ long!"

"I know," she mocked a pout, "We don't have many classes together, do we? But I'll be free from studying soon and we can go out and catch up like we used to."

"Yeah, I'd love that. So what's it like living with Ash?"

"Nothing like living with you," said the girl, deflating almost immediately with just one thought of the hard-headed blonde. "Not at all. To tell you the truth, it sucks. She's like a black cloud of depression, hovering over me..."

"Things will get better, I'm sure," said Maria in response, rolling her eyes playfully. "Ash is in a difficult place right now."

"Apparently, so is Adam." Jeff butted into the conversation, not entirely interested but wanting to join in too. "I don't talk much with the guy, obviously, but I was talking to Mike earlier and it seems he's really down about her."

Maria pouted sadly at both of her friends. "I don't blame her. Y'know, the way it went down between them is really sad. After all that he said...Mickie told me everything he told Ashley...it was so, _so_ romantic. I can't even begin to describe it. Just to know that she's so insecure as to reject him..."

The redhead took to staring sadly just past her best friend, and both Eve and Jeff knew she was off in her own love-filled world again. Shaking her head softly, she excused herself, thinking it best not to bring up the subject she'd wanted to talk about—Randy Orton, of course—and moved away to talk to a few other people.

Somehow, she ended up hovering around the drinks area. It was a mere fifteen minutes later when Eve decided she needed cheering up. Matt, Miz, Matt, Miz—why couldn't both just disappear from her mind? She didn't want to spend an evening, in which she was supposed to be enjoying herself and releasing the stress of everyday problems, worrying solely about both of them. How was it fair to her?

Placing her drink down, she turned away from the small bar and risked a glance at the crowd surrounding her. There were several college students letting all of their issues go on the dance floor, and a bunch of others burying them in order to flirt with others. Tonight, she felt like doing the same as the latter.

What would be the harm in at least trying to be the social bee she used to be?

Her eyes, now with a saucy glint in them, scanned over the crowd of eligible boys. Now, who would be her pick? She felt she wasn't attractive enough to put just any guy under her spell, but she knew she was confident enough, at least this evening, to take her chances.

And then she spotted him.

It had only taken half a minute for her mind to pick him, and then another to think up a plan. This was completely _perfect_. He was who she was after, and she was fairly sure he wouldn't have a problem complying with her needs.

A subtle smirk tugged at the side of her lips as she started making her way over, brushing through a group of sweaty people with little care to get to him. She was fairly sure she didn't need to give herself a pep talk, and so, upon reaching, tapped him on the shoulder to get his attention.

Ted DiBiase turned away from his conversation with Randy to see who the interruption was. Upon seeing the girl, he offered a smile and brought her in for a friendly hug. Clearly, any friend of Mickie's was a friend of his. "Hey, Eve—how are you?"

"Oh yeah, I'm good." She answered, fighting the urge to laugh with glee. This evening was going to be fun, if not wonderfully time-consuming. "And yourself?"

Randy appeared to stray away from the small conversation, glancing over at Jeff and Maria for a while, until he decided to leave altogether. The two didn't seem to notice as Ted answered, "Yeah, I'm good. Hey, have you heard from Mickie? I spoke to her a couple of days ago but that seems like a lifetime ago. Is she alright?"

"Mickie? Yeah, she's fine." She wasn't particularly sure this was true, but she wanted to move away from the topic of the brunette. Close friend or not, tonight wasn't the night to talk about emotions or get upset over another person. "So I wanted to ask you something..."

He acknowledged the smile on her face, one that seemed to grow wider at the end of her sentence, and couldn't help but to offer one of his own. "Yeah? Must be something good?"

"Oh, it is." She nodded. A beat later, she cleared her throat and simply went for it. "Have you seen Cody around? I'd really like to speak to him."

The guy seemed to have trouble comprehending the question for a moment or two. Then, slowly enough, the wheels appeared to turn in his head, and he finally understood the intent of the question. He began shaking his head before he even answered. "No, Eve, do you understand what he's like?"

"I've...heard of his reputation." Another nod, demure. "But that's exactly why I want to find him. And I saw him earlier so—"

"You're not really serious, are you?" A somewhat horrified look was offered her way. "I know he's my best friend...but when it comes to girls, he's an absolute douchebag."

She simply nodded. "I know."

He took a moment to simply stare at her. Was she drunk? The Latina rolled her eyes as he so clearly checked for signs of alcoholic intoxication—couldn't he just go and find Mickie and speak with her like he'd wanted to?

Finally, he answered, "Fine, it's your own doom, I suppose."

"Great. So where is he then?"

"Just through there, in the games room again."

"Thank you." And with a bright smile, she was off.

There was a certain confidence to her walk as she went in search for him, and even though knowing this probably wasn't a good idea at all like Ted had told her, she was determined to see it through. She was feeling fun and flirty; for now, where was the harm in that?

Eventually, she spotted him. A couple of faceless girls—at least two that weren't in her classes, she knew—were surrounding him as he took the time to charm both at once. She felt the urge to smirk. Despite the baby-face, he really had it going on personality-wise—no wonder the girls fell to his feet willingly.

He glanced up a moment later, catching her eye, and she allowed the tiniest of smirks to curve her lips. He caught the gesture and seemed to have trouble believing what it meant, though he clearly wanted to believe she was giving him the come-on. Was it just him or was she smiling at him knowingly?

Bored of the foreplay, she flicked back her curls and headed straight for him. His eyes were captivated on only her as she pressed a hand against his collar, moving in front of the girls, protest or no protest, and then pulled him out of the spotlight.

He seemed to follow her willingly until they reached a quieter section of the house, just under the stairway. Then he backed her into the corner, both hands connecting with the wall behind them to trap her in. She merely stared up with a sort of innocence as he said, "It's Eve Torres, right?"

"Yeah, but don't you think that's enough of the small talk?"

"You just split up with your boyfriend, I think."

She bit down on her bottom lip, frustrated. All she wanted was to feel craved for the evening; was that really so hard to ask?

Evidently not. Cody, sensing her impatience, pressed a finger under her chin and a thumb tenderly against it, tilting her head upwards for an intimate kiss. A raw sexual energy seemed to ripple through her from the moment their lips touched, and she pushed back hard to deepen the moment.

"So," said the dark-haired guy, a little smirk of his own appearing, "What do you want to do for the rest of the night?"

Was there really any need to answer that? Grabbing his hand, she pulled him through the crowd and headed towards the exit. She ignored Ted's disapproving look as she did so, but saw the smirk his best friend offered him, too. Whatever. This would be a one-night stand and nothing more. If he wanted to think she was easy, so be it.

And a hurried five minutes later, both were inside his room and stripping away each other's clothes with a hungry focus...

* * *

So there's the next chapter. Sorry it's shorter than the last; I've just got a new job (in a sweet shop, if you please; free sweets anyone? Haha) & it's quite time-consuming. Please review :)

Up next is **Maria's **chapter.


	28. Revelations: Maria

The Great Escape

_AN._ Thank you to **xHalosandwings, Tiffyxox, Cena-Wilson-Crazy, Anon, John Cena's Field Hockey Star, Grits0205, xTwistedxImperfectionx, justbornawesome, rory21, HappySmiler, RKO.I.F **_&_ **TJ Sparkles** for reviewing the last chapter.

Thanks very muchly :)

Chapter Twenty-Eight – Revelations

* * *

**MARIA**

* * *

November eventually gave way to December, bringing with it a fresh round of hope and a new bout of Christmas cheer—hope, especially, for today of all days; the winter break had finally arrived, and each and every college student weren't letting their friends forget it.

While many people were frantically gathering their things together, debating if they'd packed enough for a two-week break, Maria Kanellis appeared to be in a different, much more calm world altogether. The redhead sat on the patchy grass of the football field, her head titled skywards to the musky grey above, with a smile gracing her pretty features. The girl, as always, posed a look of perfect innocence.

Beside her, Jeff was lying on his back contently, as if pretending the clouds were, rather, bursts of sunshine. His hands were tucked to his sides, one idly picking at the grass beneath him and the other dangerously close to his friend's. He was happy to bask in the silence the moment had offered thus far; it was a perfect setting.

Releasing a relaxed sigh through parted lips, the girl glanced over to him, smiling. "Is it just me or does it feel like everybody but us is rushing around, using up all of their energy while we just take it easy?"

"The best way to live." A soft chuckle was given. "Besides, you've already packed. Weren't you done a week ago?"

"Yes, Jeffrey, I was." She poked her tongue out playfully. In response, he settled for a boyish grin. "But it was so exciting to be going home back then."

"Then?"

"Oh, don't get me wrong, it's _still_ exciting! But I suppose you could say I've grown an attachment to this place. A lot of stuff has happened in the past couple of months—"

"It's not like you won't be coming back in two weeks, Maria."

"Yes, that's true...but I've grown close to a lot of people since living here. It's going to be sad not seeing them everyday—well, at least for the next couple of weeks anyway."

Though 'a lot of people' was the phrase given, she only appeared to have one in mind, and fixated on this specifically as she slipped back into her own world again. The assumption of the mystery time-consuming man was clear to make, and made painfully obvious as silence engulfed them both.

She was instantly reminded of Randy's brooding features; those piercing blue eyes and his casual, attractive smile appeared through a shroud of grey musk in her lacking thoughts, or so it seemed, and it was all she could do not to sigh sadly at the thought of him.

He'd never be hers, would he?

"So anyway!" Her enthusiastic tone came a moment later, after she'd turned her head in his direction. Her smile was fixed. "Everything is all sorted out. Tomorrow, Eve is going to drive us home—and no arguments, but you're going to leave your car and come with us. It'll be a fun road trip, just the three of us."

An eyebrow was raised in confusion. "Okay, fine. But what about the others?"

"Ashley's determined to stay here for the holidays—doesn't want to be with her family." A sadder smile curved her glossed lips. "And I don't know why exactly, but Mickie's taking the train home; maybe they both thought the other was going to be taking our ride."

He simply nodded. The four girls certainly appeared to be having serious troubles between them. It was almost hard to believe they'd arrived here as excited students with nothing to worry about other than fitting in; now all were tangled up in complicated spider webs, intertwining with several other strangers on campus.

"But you and I, my friend," she shuffled slightly to pat his thigh, oblivious to his suddenly stiffer state at the gesture, "are going to have to be the life of the party. I feel like we should inject some fun into everything."

"Speaking of the life of the party, how's Eve?" He inquired, clearing his throat to remind himself to move on. "I've been speaking to Matt recently and he's anxious about her coming home. He's not over her at all and since they're going to be seeing each other again..."

The sentence didn't need to be finished, and was replaced with a weary sigh. "I really wouldn't know what to tell you. I haven't seen her much recently—she's always over at Ted and Cody's dorm room. She says it's because she has a project to work on with Cody, but I'm not so sure."

Jeff laughed quietly at her naivety and then shook his head lightly. "Well, it doesn't sound like either is coping to me."

And he would know all about coping—mainly because he was struggling to himself. He never thought it would be so hard to let the person he had feelings for stray from his romantic grip, and that the sacrifice almost wasn't worth it for the sake of a friendship with obvious restrictions.

But Maria seemed to be doing it with Randy and he admired her for it. He didn't hate the guy, either; he knew most guys in his situation would, but he knew him to be a decent person and had hung out with him more recently.

It wasn't hard to see one thing: he and Maria shared an obvious connection.

But for now, this was kept to the back of his mind, and he looked up to the sky again. "Can we put the radio back on? Talking about all of this drama is depressing."

"We sure can." She nodded eagerly, and took out her iPod to adjust it to the right setting.

As if by a strange coincidence, the ever-romantic "Chasing Cars" title by Snow Patrol began to strum through the speakers. Both enjoyed the calm moment and Maria, half a minute later, pressed herself against the ground to close her eyes.

Jeff took in her expression. She looked perfectly relaxed, even in the midst of the thundering clouds ahead. A smile would have pressed his lips tightly if he hadn't caught the sight of Michelle stepping onto the football field, clearly intent on interrupting their little gathering.

Maria was nudged just in time to see Michelle come to a stop above her. The blonde hovered for a moment, a smile on her face, and it took only a few seconds for her to hop up from her content position to pull her into a hug. "Hey, Chelle! What's up?"

He fought the urge to roll his eyes. Recently, he'd found Michelle to be a little more annoying in her actions and mannerisms. He couldn't tell what it was exactly, but something about her just screamed _fake._

"Oh, I just wanted to catch you before I left with Layla." A bright grin was offered. "I'm gonna miss you, Ria!"

"Me too!" Eyes widened in obvious agreement. "And erm," her voice lowered not a moment later, "Are you okay...I mean, with the whole Randy thing?"

Michelle understood the implication and gave a sad smile, raising a hand to brush her straightened bangs out of her face. "I've decided I'm going to tell my parents it's over. They need to know the truth and I need to accept it. Maybe this will finally make me move on with my life."

"Well...if that's the case, I wish you all the luck in the world. And girly, if you ever need someone to talk to, I'm always here."

"Oh, I know. You've proved that recently. Thanks, Maria."

There was a moment of silence as a friendly hug was shared, before the blonde gestured a wave to Jeff and set off on the path she'd appeared from. Both watched her leave, one with a soft smile and the other with indifference.

"Y'know," said Maria as she rested once again, pressing her head lightly against Jeff's stomach as she lay horizontally different to her former position, "I think I'm gonna miss her the most."

He didn't answer, merely stroked his fingers through her hair as he looked up again. He was going to enjoy this moment. Chances were, he felt, a change was about to happen.

* * *

A quick, casual glance in the direction of Randy's dorm building proved one thing that Maria already knew to be true: she wasn't going to get a final glimpse of him before she headed on the long road trip back home.

A soft sigh spilled through her lips as she pushed down on the trunk, checking to see if it was properly shut a second later. It was. She almost wished there was a problem in order to stay there a little longer and see if he would come to wish her goodbye.

But that would be a foolish thing, wouldn't it?

She'd said goodbye to Ashley first. The blonde was found in her new room, and had waved her off with little interest before she returned to her laptop. The rare smile that curved her lips simply proved she was happy to have the area to herself for the next fortnight.

Then it was Mickie's turn. She was unsure whether she'd be seeing the brunette over the Christmas period, especially considering that it was family time, but the girls always made time for each other and so a light hug was shared between them knowing they'd see each other on Boxing Day.

Both goodbyes had been exceptionally short, and the redhead felt anxious about what to do next. Well, she knew exactly what she _wanted_ to do—instead she brooded in her bedroom for the next few hours, triple-checking she had everything she wanted packed in her suitcase, to distract herself from her obvious line of thought.

And now here she was, climbing into the back seat while Jeff picked the radio station in the front, and Eve adjusted herself for the journey in the driver's seat. The other two were occupied—she could see this for herself—and she was left with only her sorry thoughts as she stared out of the window.

So it was official: Randy Orton would remain a simple mystery until she returned.

Not that she blamed him for ignoring her. As the car crunched slowly over the gravel towards the campus exit, she couldn't help but to think about their last encounter. Though it'd been on her mind a lot recently, this time she was not only thinking about their breathtaking kiss, but also her reaction.

Who was she to feel discomforted at his lack of communication when she was practically avoiding him too?

_Oh, Randy._ She twisted her lips in frustration as she raised a hand to massage it softly over her aching temple. _I wish I could stop thinking about you. I wish you were easy to forget. __**I wish we were together right now.**_

The last thought finalized everything, because it was true. It was all she wanted; just to be with him and not worry about Michelle or anybody else. She wanted a selfish moment with him again, like the one shared back in the library.

"Maria, your cell's ringing." Eve interrupted the moment, having to raise her voice over the radio. "I put it in the glove compartment. Do you want it?"

"Um sure, why not?" She answered. Now, coming back to grips with the real world, she could hear the familiar tone too. But who would be ringing her now? Oh, had she forgotten to say goodbye to someone? "Hello?" She answered when the phone was firmly clamped to her right ear.

"_Maria, it's Randy."_

All of a sudden, the student found it rather hard to breathe. But she was concentrated alright, and froze in her position, one instant thought coming to mind: _Why didn't I check caller ID?_ Perhaps it was better that she hadn't though, otherwise she wasn't sure she would have the courage to go through with this conversation.

The strange feeling in the pit of her stomach, a mix of butterflies and deep fear, pulsated deeper as she thought of a response to give. In the time being, she realized that he'd sounded out of breath in his greeting, and now sounded like he was trying to get it back. "Is everything alright?" She asked feebly.

"_I tried to...to catch you, but you were already gone."_ She could picture him keeled over, staring at the hard ground as he explained himself. The feeling warmed her more than she knew possible. _"I'm sorry I wasn't there to see you off. I...I had to pack and help find something for Miz. Idiot."_

"It's okay, don't worry about it. So..." Trailing off for a moment, she closed her eyes and forced herself to stay strong. "Why exactly are you calling?"

"_To apologize."_ Randy stated confidently, his breath seemingly back to its normal rate. _"I...I wanted to tell you something before you left and I couldn't."_

She didn't know what to say. Part of her was curious, and the other was afraid to know. "Oh?" Her voice was faint.

"_Look." _A sigh spilled through his own lips. _"I had this whole speech planned out for you and now I feel like a complete idiot. I don't want to tell you what I have to down the phone. It takes the romance out of it, you know?"_

Her heart fluttered at the talk of the 'R' word and a smile touched her lips before she could stop it. So the topic was to do with them, not just the casual goodbye she'd wanted. But Michelle entered her mind at just the wrong moment and her mood quickly deflated. "Randy, I don't think you should—"

"_No, I have to tell you – on the phone or not." _His tone was more demanding this time, more forceful. She liked it. Her friend was pushed to the back of her mind in order to hear him out. When he was sure he had her attention, he inhaled a deep breath. _"Maria, I don't know what's going on with us. I mean...after the kiss, I thought things were pretty clear and I was happy to be with you. Finally. But then you ran off and—"_

"Randy—"

"_This is going terribly, I know. I didn't want to say this in the way I am right now. It sounds unorganized." _A nervous chuckle spilled through his mouth. _"But I need to know how things are with us. I want to be with you, Maria. I'm not going to deny it to you. All I ever seem to think about is you...and...and it hurts to know you're avoiding me. By the way, did I do something wrong? Is there a reason why you're avoiding me?"_

She took a moment to reply, her sadness overtaking her state of mind for a moment. "No," she answered softly. "You did nothing wrong at all."

"_So what's going on then? Because I'm serious about you, Maria." _ There was a brief period of silence, in which the statement became a little more truthful to her ears. He was being serious; and she was scared, unsure what to do. He continued. _"I mean, I broke up with Michelle because she's not the girl I'm in love with. It's you. __**You.**__ You're the one I want to be with...and I hope you feel the same way. I wanted to tell you this before, but now it's too late."_

Finally, the bigger picture was revealed—at least to her. His words may have come out in a jumbled mess but the key point of it wasn't at all missed by her. At once, her heart sunk.

_Michelle McCool._

"I don't know if I can do this. You...you broke up with Michelle."

"_Yeah, I did...but what has that got to do with anything?"_

"You left her heartbroken, Randy. She's wept on my shoulder almost every day over you." A beat later, she felt more confident in herself. "She's not over you. I don't think she will be for a long time. And now you expect me to be with you so easily? As much as I want to, and I really want to be with you too, Michelle's still my friend. One of the closest I have right now and I can't do it to her."

Silence engulfed them both. Her fears had been pushed out for him to see—or better yet, hear—and now she was left to deal with the aftermath. If this meant they wouldn't be together, so be it; her heart was quite literally breaking at the thought of never being able to call him a boyfriend, or kiss his perfect lips again, but this was about Michelle. _Michelle._

What kind of friend would she be if she didn't consider her feelings into this too?

"_Maria...what has she told you?"_ His tone, she realized when he confronted her a minute later, was both wary and confused. _"Why would she be heartbroken over me?"_

She felt confident enough to answer. "Why wouldn't she be?"

"_Because she didn't have a problem with us breaking up." _For a moment, her breath stopped completely. And then, as she registered the information, he continued to baffle her. _"I told her that things weren't working between us and she totally agreed. It was pretty amicable. So I don't know what she's said to you but it's not true—"_

Maria hung up. It seemed to be a natural response to taking in everything all at once. She swallowed lightly as she closed her eyes again, trying to make sense of all she'd just been told.

How could this possibly be true?

How could Michelle...

Was she...

Was he...

The questions were left unsaid and unanswered as she clutched her phone in her hand. The tone rang once more but she ignored it this time, pressing the off button to make sure she wouldn't be distracted a third time.

Eve caught sight of her in the mirror. Instantly, she asked in a soothing tone, "Is everything alright with Randy?"

"Erm yeah, fine." She just about managed to answer her best friend.

But the redhead looked anything but that as she shifted slightly in her seat, pressing her forehead against the cool glass of the window and staring out to the open road. She closed her eyes once more.

_Well...what the hell am I supposed to think now?_

* * *

So there's the next chapter. Please review :)

Up next is **Mickie's **chapter.


	29. I Miss You: Mickie

The Great Escape

_AN._ Thank you to **Cena-Wilson-Crazy, ShadeDt, Tiffyxox, Grits0205, xTwistedxImperfectionx, BigRedMachineUK, xHalosandwings, John Cena's Field Hockey Star, RKO.I.F, anonymous **_&_ **TJ Sparkles **for reviewing the last chapter.

Thanks very muchly :)

Chapter Twenty-Nine – I Miss You

* * *

**MICKIE**

**

* * *

**Mickie woke abruptly, her body slumped into the corner and the side of her face cold from where it had been pressed against the cool glass of the train window. A yawn spilled through her lips and she unsuccessfully tried to cover it with her hand, all the while drinking in the familiar surroundings from her seat; she was still obviously on the transport, but the train had stopped moving now and, in fact, was opening its doors with a _swoosh_ to allow passengers off.

The brunette swept back her tangled, wavy curls as she stood and stretched out, taking her time as to allow other people to move past her and get out faster. Though there was an underlying excitement in her for being home, she was in no hurry to move on just yet—she wanted to enjoy this moment.

When she was able to gather her things from the compartment near the exit, the aisle finally clearing of excited home-bound people such as herself, she allowed herself to think about the nap she'd taken for the long journey home. Could a ten-hour sleep be considered a nap? Either way, she felt wonderfully refreshed as she stepped off of the train, dragging her case behind her. She hadn't slept well, all problems considering, for a long time now.

The brief difficulty of thinking about said problems was all wiped away when she looked up and caught a glimpse of her parents. The brightest smile lit up her face, as it did theirs, and she ran towards them in a child-like state, eager to get to them as soon as possible. A giggle spilled through her parted lips as they both engulfed her in a bone-crushing hug, her petite frame lost in the middle of the two adults.

When she was finally released, she saw the tears in her mother's eyes. "You have no idea how much we've missed you, sweetie. And look at you! You look very college-y."

"I'm not sure that's a word, Mom, but thanks." She turned to her Dad, who still had yet to tone down his grin. "And you look chipper. Did you finally clear out the garage like Mom asked you to?"

"Oh no, that's still on the list of things to do, now that I remember." He gave a mock _"Yikes!"_ expression, to which his wife responded by nudging him on the arm playfully. "I'm just so happy my baby girl is back for Christmas. We didn't know if we'd get you back, especially after you told us about all the school work stressing you out."

"All the more reason for me to come back here for break." She told him, muttering a brief thanks when he took her case as they started walking to the exit, towards the car park. "I can't think of a better way to spend two weeks, to be honest."

Well she could, but she held back those depressing thoughts. She'd liked to have spent them happy, perhaps with the knowledge that Punk was her boyfriend and Ashley was still her best friend. But that clearly wasn't going to happen.

"Anyway," she moved on defiantly, "Where's Ryan—let me guess, at home playing on his Xbox?"

"Your brother is waiting in the car," said her mother with a knowing smile, as if to acknowledge how sweet the gesture was. "He finally passed his test so he's taken to driving us everywhere. Oh, but we don't expect that to last forever. He'll go back to being selfish and arrogant any day now."

"I'll expect nothing less of him."

Idle conversation was made between the trio until they reached the car—unfamiliar to Mickie's eyes on account of it being new—and she and her brother were forced to acknowledge each other. Their parents watched on in amusement as they shrugged at one another, refusing to hug out of pride and on the false account of "hating each other" as siblings should. It was a quick few minutes later that the case was in the trunk and they were travelling back down the familiar route to the house.

A surge of excitement spread through Mickie as she half-focused on her surroundings, half-explained to everyone how she was doing in college. There was nothing to be said about her personal relationships, just work. She took pride in being one of the smartest students in her classes and it was nice to talk to someone else about her achievements.

By the time Ryan pulled into the driveway, it was half an hour later. She was comforted to know the house still looked the same; the door leading to the backyard still looked in need of oiling, the front garden was still dehydrated of flowers, and the front door still needed a paint job. These imperfect things only made her smile even more.

Her brother seemed to act the gentleman as he brought her heavy case inside, but then dropped it in the hallway and raced up the stairs, only stopping at the top to shout down at her, "You better be ready for the next music challenge, 'cause I've already got you beat, Micks!"

She rolled her eyes playfully, turning into her mother's laugh. There was no need to say what didn't need to be said—Ryan had missed having his little sister around. And she couldn't exactly say she didn't miss their encounters either, because she had.

"So come on in here and have a chat with us, Mickie." Her father beamed at her, beckoning her into the kitchen. It was only a couple of minutes later that they were all sat around the table with mugs of hot tea and biscuits. "So how's college life? What's been going on?"

She immediately delved in. "Oh, it's been great so far! I'm finding out _so_ much more than I ever did in school—and the teachers actually respect me here! Or at least they make it seem like our opinions actually matter. I'm also really good with debates; I've won at least four of my last five, I think..."

"We meant with you, personally. What's going on with _you?_"

There was a moment of silence in which the young adult looked into the hopeful faces of her parents. She couldn't tell them about her problems, could she? There were two too many and she didn't want to burden them with dramatic stories of how hard she was really finding college life.

"Everything is great!" Her tone was a little too forced. Her Dad nodded obliviously, but her Mom saw right through it. "I mean, the girls' are great, too! Maria and Eve are having loads of fun together...and you know Ash. Ash is...being stubborn as usual, haha."

The nervous chuckle towards the end of her sentence gave the final warning signal, and her father was soon packed off to the living room—with a small grunt of _"Huh, why do I have to go?"_—so the two women of the house could have a little heart-to-heart, just like the good old days.

"What's _really_ going on, sweetie?"

Her face crumpled up with defeat not a moment later. Her mother was by her side quickly, sliding into the chair next to hers and pressing her daughter's head against her chest. She ran her fingers through her hair soothingly while she waited for the sobs to settle and an explanation to be given.

"I lost my best friend, Mom. We...we had an argument, a really serious one about _the incident_, and we haven't talked since. I don't think she'll ever forgive me. And...also..." She sniffed, feeling childish in herself for still needing these kinds of talks. Comforted, too. "There's this guy."

She could feel a smile against her forehead. "Ah, the ever-mysterious guy. I was waiting for this one."

"His name's Phil, but everyone calls him Punk. When I first met him I was super shy and I think that was, like, super funny to everyone..." She paused for a moment, absorbing the soft chuckle sent her way. She knew when she was upset she sounded slightly dumb in her verbal language; she would have laughed at herself if she wasn't so busy pouring her heart out. "And Mum, he's so beautiful. Like, I found myself falling in love with him...but I don't know if it is love, because I've never felt anything like it before. And then we...we kinda went out, but I got too scared and I split up with him..."

"And now?"

Her face crumpled again. "I miss him more than anything. I really, really want him back. I miss everything about him—his smile, his laugh, his hair. Oh God, his hair! Stop laughing at me, Mom, I'm serious! And is that really weird?"

"Your obsession with his hair?" She joked, only for her daughter to sit upright in her seat and shoot her a mock glare. "No, Mickie, it's not. You sound like a girl in love for the first time. So, why don't you call him now—tell him how you feel?"

"It's not as simple as that." She answered with a tiny shrug. "For a start, I don't think he'd even pick up the phone if I called. He hates me right now."

"You shouldn't pout; it's unattractive. And I'm sure that's not true, sweetie. He's hurt, you're hurt. That doesn't mean you don't like one another still."

"Maybe." Suddenly she was really tired. Lifting herself to her feet, she offered a smile. "Thanks, Mom. I'm gonna head to my room for a little while."

"Okay. Dinner's at six."

Mickie simply nodded and trudged up the stairs, quite looking forward to collapsing on her comfortable bed for a little time alone. She was in no way tired, thanks to her zoning out on the train earlier, but she was fairly relieved to see the king-size object in all its glory. She missed sleeping like a Queen; the dorms were certainly different to home.

She fell backwards onto her bed, bouncing lightly before she came to a stop, her eyes roaming around her room. Everything looked the same. And she felt so very different in herself, as a person especially. This room belonged to the high-school Mickie James, not the new problematic one.

Still, she wiped away the last of her tears and rolled onto her side, relaxing completely. The faintest of smiles graced her features as she remembered, and once again heard, the thump of loud techno music coming from her brother's room just down the hall. Home sweet home.

Yet the pain of being so far away from Punk—both emotionally and physically—unsettled her, and she curled up in the tightest ball she could, scrunching her eyes shut and wishing, once again, for the memory of him to fade away. She already knew it wouldn't.

* * *

The following day was better for Mickie's state of mind, and she found herself happily re-connecting with her best friends over at Eve's house. She, Maria and Eve all sat in a circle on the floor of the latter's bedroom, reminiscing over certain memories and giving themselves reasons to smile for being back here.

There was only one person missing.

"I hate to say it, but Ashley not being here to hover over us like some sort of depressing fun-eater is just plain weird." Eve shrugged, pressing her palms against the pink carpet as she leaned back. She looked between the two. "Don't you think so?"

"Definitely." She sighed, taking in Maria's disappointed expression. "And I think I'm having dinner with Ash's parents sometime in the next week—I really don't want to explain how their daughter's doing, especially when she won't return their calls."

"Yeah, I don't like how she's cutting herself off from everybody. I know she wants to move on from the past, and I don't blame her for that obviously, but I don't think this is the way to do it. I feel so sorry for her."

An awkward silence engulfed them all as they took a moment to think about the blonde of the group. She would certainly be the missing piece of an otherwise wonderful Christmas back home. It just wasn't the same with three girls instead of four; the balance was totally off.

Deciding to move on a couple of minutes later, the redhead offered a smile. "Still, it's good to be back—she's definitely missing out. Oh, I ran into Dolph yesterday when I was getting milk from the store. _Now_ I know why you guys kept telling me he was bad news; he's repulsive!"

"You know we told you that for the _seven months_ you spent dating him in junior year." Eve rolled her eyes towards her best friend, though a playful smirk touched her glossed lips. "Weren't so willing to listen to us then, were you?"

An innocent gasp was emitted. "I was blinded by his hotness, thank you very much!"

"Whatever. That boy was no good, but at least you know it now."

Maria gave a triumphant nod. She knew, however, that her view on people of the opposite sex wasn't any less confusing now that she was in college. It was obvious that Randy Orton was a major part of her life now and she wasn't willing to let him go.

"Speaking of exes, what about you and Matt? Have you seen him yet?"

The brunette shook her head and instinctively glanced over to the picture frame on her bedside table; inside the gold frame was a picture of her and Matt, arms wrapped around each other as they stared into the camera. She remembered that day perfectly—they were both happy and so in love with each other. _Just as it should be now._

Mickie spotted the look and held her tongue out of respect. At least she wasn't the only one with guy troubles. Though, on today of all days, she seemed to be doing quite well. Punk hadn't entered her mind—well, not at least until now—and a cheerful text from Ted this morning, in which he told her to have a good holiday, had put a nice smile on her face anyway.

"Whatever." The ex-cheerleader shook her head, taking her gaze away from the picture to place it back onto her friends. A smile lit up her face. "I'm planning on making the most of this time. I've already got a night planned out with Jess and Meg, the twins, at the weekend. It's gonna be so great, like old times."

"Yeah, I can just imagine the three of you performing a few drunk cheers while you're there." Maria stuck her tongue out playfully. "It's what you always used to do on a Saturday night. Then there was me, who had to take you home."

"But you always got confused as to where you were, and me and Ash had to drive around in order to find you." Mickie laughed, and the others joined in. There were so many happy memories here, it was a pity they had to leave again. "Good times," she mumbled appreciatively.

The trio fell into routine conversation once more after that, reminding themselves of good-times-gone-bad and hilariously bad fashion mistakes made in the first year of high school, when they were all trying to impress the higher-ups. So many memories, so little time to discuss them in.

Mickie received a phone call just twenty minutes into a particularly amusing story, and excused herself from the room to answer it. She'd barely pressed the device to her ear, a grin on her face, when her mind finally processed the caller ID her eyes had briefly flickered across. Words lost her completely. "...Erm..."

"Good. So you know it's me." Phil's voice was smooth down the other end of the line. He almost made it sound like he was smiling, and she imagined his pierced lip curved perfectly. The thought alone... "I think it's time we talked, don't you, Mickie James?"

Illiterately, she uttered, "But...but you hate me."

He didn't answer this, dismissing it. "Where are you?" He asked instead, specifically.

"I'm at Eve's house." She managed to answer, her curiosity overruling her heart's flutter for once. "Why are you asking? Are you in Chicago somewhere then?"

"Actually, I'm standing outside an unfamiliar door, asking some guy named Ryan where his little sister might be. My things are definitely in Chicago, just not me."

She could have sworn her heart was failing. As soon as the words were uttered out of his mouth, they floated through her mind, spelling it out for a second time in her thoughts. Was he speaking the truth? He couldn't possibly...couldn't _possibly_ be at her house, right?

"Are you serious right now?"

"More serious than I've ever been, Mickie." His voice was suddenly just that. "And I'm waiting for you."

She hung up immediately. It occurred to her, as she hurriedly said a goodbye to the perplexed faces of Eve and Maria, that he could have taken the sudden cut-off as offensive. But this only made her hurry even faster to get back to her house; she almost speeded through two red lights in order to make it there.

She had no idea what she was running into, but she knew who she was running to.

It was almost too good to be true. Phil wasn't messing with her though, and she found him standing by the gate when she arrived, completely alone. His smirk caught her attention as she slipped out of the car, slamming the door a little too harshly in obvious surprise.

"But what are you..." The question went unfinished as she stopped before him.

"I've decided that all this crap between us is pointless." He waited a moment as she simply stared at him. Predictably, of course. "And," he lowered his voice, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her into him, irregardless of the gate in-between them, "If you're already scared of being with me, then I see no harm in making you feel absolutely _petrified._"

He already had her. She knew that neither he or she had to explain a thing; it was just perfectly obvious, at least to her, that everything in the past was meant to be there.

And it felt just so wonderfully right to press her lips against his, and savour the taste of Punk once again.

* * *

So there's the next chapter. Please review :)

Up next is **the girls' **chapter.


	30. The One You Love

The Great Escape

_AN._ Thank you to **xHalosandwings, xTwistedxImperfectionx, Cena-Wilson-Crazy, anonymous, Grits0205, anonymous (2), TJ Sparkles, Tiffyxox, rory21 **_&_ **HappySmiler **for reviewing the last chapter.

Thanks very muchly :)

Chapter Thirty – The One You Love

* * *

**THE GIRLS**

**

* * *

**It was all too obvious that Ashley was suffering.

She appeared to acknowledge it too, jabbing at the bags under her eyes and sighing wearily at the reflection she saw in the mirror. Just what was happening to her? Her skin looked unhealthily pale and worn-out – as though all the life had been sucked out of her in the past couple of weeks. It was an unattractive look, and she turned back into the comfort of her empty room with a grimace.

It was strange to feel so alone. All she'd ever wished to be was just that—isolated and cut off from human civilization. She supposed she simply dealt with her issues better by herself, without the annoying hum of Eve's rap music blasting loudly through her headphones to distract her from thinking properly; here, it was a case of me, myself and I. Just like she'd wanted for some time now.

Except... the reality of the visual image felt a lot different to how she wanted it to feel. She found she missed the distractions that stopped her from deeply analyzing her life—whether they came from Eve or Maria—and that, despite having previously boasted about staying at college for the holidays, she was now beginning to regret the very decision.

The student shook her head, dirty-blonde locks falling out of a loose bun to frame her face, and decided it was high time to take a walk around the deserted campus. Though the majority of people had gone home to visit their own families, she knew there were still a few scattered here and there, and she knew she would feel safer in their company.

It was weird to have nothing to do but wander around the campus. She'd always been in such a hurry before, whether it was to get to class or to get away from certain people she despised; there was _always_ a rush to move around the spacious ground. And now here she was, moving slowly as she allowed her eyes, for the first time, to truly take in everything around her.

She wished she could say she was at peace by doing so, but she wasn't—if anything, she felt more alone than ever. A prickle of irritation scratched at the surface and she inhaled deeply; would this deeper, acknowledged pain ever go away?

She wanted to be alone. She didn't want to be alone. She wanted to be alone. She didn't want to be alone...and the vicious cycle went on.

Feeling more exhausted than ever, the blonde lifted her head from the ground to try and distract herself once more. Maybe a visit to the library would lift her spirits...or perhaps a trip out to the football grounds? Either way, she knew she had to entertain herself for the next couple of lonely weeks.

And then she saw him.

A chill ran down her spine and she paused in step as Adam came into view. He hadn't noticed her, thankfully for her, and so he looked the epitome of cool as he sat perched against a huge oak tree, sunglasses atop of his head and eyes closed while he enjoyed a rare sunny day in December.

Who knew that under the act he was just another guy in love? Worse yet, a guy in love with _her?_

Wrapping her arms around herself, she watched him for another moment or so. And then, swallowing lightly, she turned around and increased her pace while she walked away from him. She couldn't be around him for any longer.

She'd been distraught upon learning that he, too, was staying on campus for the holidays. After being haunted in her dreams with memories of his speech—his great big amazing speech that within he confessed his love for her—she was relieved for the break to arrive, and for everyone to filter out, just so she could be given some breathing space.

But that wasn't going to happen now, was it?

Ashley was only able to make it to the football grounds before she burst into tears. She hated feeling this way, or for being so weak, but the crying moments simply wouldn't stop—not for her, anyway. She was so very upset – with him, at him, at herself...

Would this unexplainable pain ever go away?

"Ash, what's up?" Paul London's concerned tone of voice greeted her unexpectedly, and if it wasn't the suddenness that made her jump, it was the arm that wrapped around her shoulders. "What's going on?"

She couldn't bear to face him and steadily kept her gaze downwards. "I can't...I can't..."

"Shhh, Ash...it's okay."

But it suddenly wasn't, and she found herself being pulled into her friend's comforting hug with a weak resolve. She clung onto him as she sobbed, images of Adam blurring into one just to gift her with more heartbreak, and he played the part of a caring person very well for the next few minutes.

It wasn't until she pulled away that she realized Brian was there too, a sheepish look on his face—as if he wasn't quite sure what he'd just interrupted—and a football tucked under his right arm.

"I knew you weren't as strong as you made yourself out to be." Paul muttered, mainly to himself. "I mean...it's impossible to behave like a total Ice Queen, isn't it?"

"I'm sorry." She mumbled, despite having nothing to apologize for. "I don't know what happened. I just...lost it."

"I think you _just_ became true to yourself, Ash – trust me, we've been waiting for this day." A rueful smile touched his lips. "We're not your guy best friends for nothing; we know all about you."

Only now did she allow a smile to press against her own lips. Pulling him in once more, she sniffed, "Thank you, Paul. You too, Brian. I just...don't know what to do, you know?"

"Well..." Brian had his say, and began tossing the football around in his hands, "I don't know what you're going to do about him...but for _today_, you could always have fun with us. I seem to remember that you have an awesome aim..."

"Yeah. What do you say, Ash?"

_That I don't deserve awesome friends like you two. _Her smile brightened, hiding her innermost thoughts. "Let's do it."

But still, even as they separated across the field into positions with the hope of forgetting about any troubles they might have, she couldn't help but to think how nice it would have been to be able to slip into the comforting arms of her best friend and simply cry it out instead.

* * *

It'd always been a tradition for Eve to swap Christmas presents with her loved ones before the actual date of the holiday; of course, nobody would open them until it was traditionally acceptable to, but it was nice to get the present-giving moment out of the way before then.

Unfortunately for her, she was aware that she still had one more present left to give. She had hoped—in a rather cowardice manner—to give her handover of a small leather box, wrapped in blue paper, over to Jeff instead of delivering it into the hands of its rightful owner. Was there anything more embarrassing than having to give a thoughtful gift to an ex-boyfriend, whom, suffice to say, you were still madly in love with?

She didn't want to give Matt a second thought, but on this particular occasion she knew she had to.

It was with a deep breath that Eve approached the Hardy household. The brunette stood outside of the front door for a moment or two, simply to brace herself for what was about to happen; this would be their first meeting since the break-up, and she was anxious about it.

What if all she wanted to do was run into his arms, feel his wrap around her frame, and kiss him until her lips were sore? Would she be able to resist the urge? Would _he? _As a matter of fact, would he even allow her to make a fool of herself?

A light vibration against her thigh caught her attention suddenly, and she pushed the present into her right hand to use the other to fish out her cell phone. The faintest of smiles pressed against her glossed lips as she read the caller ID on the small screen—it was one of her newest-added contacts.

"Yes?" She answered, her smile turning into a soft smirk.

His voice was as clear as day, and she could simply tell, by the playfulness of his tone, that his expression mirrored hers. "Miss. Torres, how are you doing?"

"I'm good, Cody. And how are you?"

She found herself terribly amused as he answered the formal question, before going on to talk about what he was up to, and vice versa. It was as though she was talking to an old friend rather than her casual sexual partner – and it was as though, furthermore, she didn't mind telling him about her day.

After their first time together, she'd lain in his bed side by side with him and stared up at the ceiling for a long while.

With Mike, she'd found herself subjected to sweet whispers in her ears—which she realized wasn't all that comforting, especially since she knew the decision to sleep with him was a bad one—and with Matt, she always ended up wrapped tightly in his arms.

The balance felt right with Cody after those two. And in a way, she enjoyed being with him after the main purpose for being there with him was over. They talked. Sometimes, she talked and he listened. Mainly he talked, and she was comforted to know she could slip into a whole new world with him – one where she didn't have to care about her problems and issues. They just...fit together, regardless of the uncertainty of what they were doing.

"Yes, you heard me right." Her smile slipped away as she refocused on the mission at hand. "I'm outside of his house right now."

"_And you're just going to give him his present? Do you think you can do that?"_

"There's only one way to find out, right?"

"_Yeah...I suppose."_ A pause. _"Well I better let you go then. I'll speak to you soon."_

"Sure. Oh, and Cody? Be careful of how many girls you sleep with over the holiday, okay?" Giggling softly at his scoff, she hung up.

Eve was back onto the subject of Matt Hardy shortly after. Something hit her unexpectedly though, and her confidence dropped as her gaze flickered back over to the familiar house.

Who was she kidding? She _couldn't _do this.

So she left the present in a neat little corner on the front porch and backed away, turning in mid-step back to her car. After slipping inside, she leaned back against her seat, staring upwards and cursing herself under her breath. What the hell was wrong with her all of a sudden?

After shaking her head, she revved up the engine and drove away. She knew she would be kicking herself over that mistake for a long while to come. She also knew she wouldn't see him for a long time after the girls went back to college—so what was she doing throwing away her chance to speak to him now?

Unaware to her, Matt had been watching her from his bedroom window all the while. He was both surprised and upset to learn they couldn't even talk to one another anymore. But he was also... what was the feeling? His heart beat slowed back to its normal routine after she was gone and he felt a bit lighter in himself as he turned to sit back at his desk, forgetting all about the present she'd left for him.

He felt _relieved._

* * *

"So... Michelle was _okay_ with the break-up?"

Pacing the length of her bedroom, Maria bit down on her bottom lip gently, choosing not to give the obvious answer to Jeff's question. She'd been thinking about this problem for a while now, and it was only today that she realized she had to talk to someone about it—and not, like she was planning, keep it to herself.

But why would Michelle, sweet and lovely Michelle, lie about her split with Randy? The blonde had seemed so genuinely upset when she came to her with the news... and to think that the scene was fake and meaningless – simply a ploy to dupe her into believing something that wasn't true? It just _didn't _make sense.

... And what was she supposed to think of Randy now? In a way, she'd held the break-up against him because he'd broken up with Michelle for her, and that was unacceptable in her eyes; flattered as she was that he liked her in the same way that she, well, _loved_ him, it wasn't fair to hurt another person's feelings.

She was more than willing to give her friend the benefit of the doubt over the guy she had fallen in love with... but where should her priorities rest now? She simply didn't know.

"Man, that's messed up," said Jeff softly, toying with the bright Christmas decorations scattered across her room. He knew her to be one to celebrate the holiday heavily, and wasn't at all surprised with the decor she'd put up. "So what are you going to do?"

"That's just it... I don't know what to do." A helpless shrug lifted her shoulders. A deep sigh later, she added, "I can't believe Michelle would lie to me like this—and I know Randy was telling the truth; it's just in my gut feeling, Jeff. He wouldn't lie to me about something as serious as this."

"I believe you on that." He nodded. "Maybe you need to talk to her when you get back – work out what's really going on. If I'm honest, I'm not really a big fan of hers anyway."

"You're not? Since when?" A frown twisted her features. "I hadn't noticed."

"I'm not sure really," he told her truthfully, "I just saw her for who I think she is, which is completely fake."

Maria knew she was trusting, but this time she felt she'd been a little too much of that with her. Why hadn't she known what she was like, when everyone else had? Why couldn't she be a good judge of character? Why was she so naive?

Why... was everything simply a huge mess?

"Hey," said the Hardy Brother gently into her thought process, nudging her hand to get her attention. When he had it, he continued. "Don't worry about it now. You deserve some fun—when you go back to college, you can deal with it then."

Eventually, she nodded. "You're right." Red curls framed her face as she twirled around, moving towards her bed to collapse on it. "I have to make the most of right now; I didn't come home to think about something a million miles away. It's time to celebrate the holidays, right?"

He chuckled at her sudden enthusiasm, and then spotted something dangling off of the mini-tree she had perched on her desk. His finger looped through the chain and he pulled it off gently. It was a mere moment later that he worked his way towards her, collapsed next to her on the bed and waved the item in front of her face.

"Were you planning to kiss that special someone on the day?"

Confused, the redhead lazily angled her head to understand what he was talking about. She giggled a moment later, and grabbed the small mistletoe wreath from his hand, using it to hold it above her head and admire it. "No, I wasn't – it's just a nice decoration, don't you think?"

"Yeah, it is."

There was a moment of silence shared between them, in which her lips parted slightly to exhale lightly. She was comforted to know she could just hang out here and not worry about a single thing; it wouldn't stop her from doing so, of course, but this wasn't the point.

"Anyway, let's have some fun. We're going to the mall." She beamed at him, leaning up on her elbows.

He glanced over to her and smiled back. "As you wish. I just have to be back before dinner—Matt's cooking tonight."

Leaning over him, a sudden idea struck her. It was cutesy and fun, and she liked it. Dangling the mistletoe over him, Maria leaned down and pressed her lips chastely against his for a second or two, before pulling away and giving him a grin. Then she rolled over and onto her feet, ready to continue with the day. "Now," she said with her back turned to him, slipping on some comfortable shoes, "I know I said I wouldn't talk about these things, but is it really sad... that all I want is to do that to Randy? I miss him so much."

Jeff attempted a smile, but saw no point in doing so. He simply followed suit and headed outside to her car, pressing two fingers against his lips for just a few seconds. She simply didn't know what effect she had on people, did she?

And what was worse was that he knew he didn't stand a chance with her. Even if he told her how he felt now, it wouldn't make the slightest bit of difference, apart from perhaps an awkward period in their close friendship.

Maria was _in love_ with Randy Orton, and he was simply the best friend, and would always be seen that way. He knew that was the way it was.

Strangely enough, he was okay with that. He didn't want to ruin a friendship over such a confession; he was happy enough to be close to her this way. So, slipping into the passenger's seat, a proper smile graced his features as he messed about with the radio to choose a decent station.

"_It's Chriiiiiiiiiistmas!" _Slade's ever-catchy tune blared at them at just the right moment.

Maria beamed at her guy best friend before setting off. Yeah, she was looking forward to a two-week break from college without any problems to worry about.

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So there's the next chapter. Please review :)

Up next is **Adam's **chapter. (Yes, you read that right.)


	31. I'll Be Here: Adam

The Great Escape

_AN._ Thank you to **xHalosandwings, xTwistedxImperfectionx, Ihonestlybelievedinyou, Grits0205, LostDiamonds, HappySmiler, BigRedMachineUK, Tiffyxox, Cena-Wilson-Crazy, quteash, jojocheer28, rory21, TJ Sparkles **_&_ **ShadyBillionaire **for reviewing the last chapter.

Thanks very muchly :)

Chapter Thirty-One – I'll Be Here

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**ADAM**

* * *

She was taunting him. She had to be.

Adam Copeland found himself in a foul mood as he entered the cafeteria that slow, uneventful day, a reading book in one hand and the other stuffed into the pocket of his dark faded jeans. He found no peace—though he usually would—at the sight of nobody around and unwillingly allowed the silence to swallow him whole as he took a seat at the nearest vacant table; there had to be a way to break this cycle of sadness, right?

Staring ahead into nothingness, his fingers tapping the book on the table absentmindedly, the student's thoughts flickered into action. It was only a short amount of time before the previous event before this came to mind and _she _arrived in his memory. He almost shook his head in embarrassment—trust the image of her to take yet another prominent place where he didn't want it to belong. He was fast beginning to dislike the experience of having a first love.

She'd been sitting in the library. All alone, she had her ear buds plugged in and her eyes focused on her laptop. Her fingers were poised over the keypad, as if just waiting for a response of some sort before they could proceed with the task ahead. Ashley Massaro looked, if anything, in a world of her own.

It was decided that he wouldn't disturb her. This plan was made from the moment he realized the ache in his heart was back at just the mere sight of her and that she would only ignore or shout at him if he forced an encounter. And what was the point of that? It would only make the situation worse.

There did appear to be a problem though. About five minutes after browsing the books for something interesting, only to find none could keep his attention, he started to gravitate back towards her—as much as he didn't want to. Before he could stop himself, he'd picked himself a spot at a table nearby, out of sight but close enough to keep an eye on her.

He was extremely grateful that she was unaware of his presence. If she knew he was there, simply watching her, she would become either very uncomfortable or very angry. Instead he was at peace as he watched her work and took in the facial features he'd come to love. There was that perfectly dirty-blonde hair, those ice-cold eyes and those full, smirking lips...

Oh, he simply couldn't get enough of her.

Eventually, he told himself to get a grip. He'd been sitting there for at least ten minutes fantasizing about calling her his girlfriend; it was time to leave before he actually did something about it. And besides, this wasn't how the old Adam Copeland would behave.

The new, thoughtful one soon emerged out of the thought. Remembering where he was now, he cleared his throat and glanced around the cafeteria. He was only too happy that no-one was around for that; getting lost in his private world one too many times was simply unacceptable.

In the middle of contemplating what to do next, Adam was interrupted by the swing of the door. As there were less than fifty students left on campus, the arrival interested him to no end... and continued to captivate him once he realized who was there.

He and Ashley stared at each other for only a few seconds or so. It felt like longer though, and as if a hidden message was passed between them in the time-frame. Then she turned and walked straight back out of the door.

A sigh spilled through his open lips as he picked up his book. Something definitely had to be done about their relationship.

_

* * *

_

The Miz was certainly at the top of the list when it came to people Adam thought he wouldn't miss when winter break arrived; in fact, it was decided upon the first moment he saw his roommate packing that a permanent smile would be worn on his face whenever he entered the room the following week and he realized—all over again—that he _finally_ had his peace and quiet. Mike was a loud, annoying, more intense version of himself, and a break from him sounded just perfect.

But now, on the fourth day of said plan, it was becoming quite the chore to raise a smile to his lips. The emptiness of the room without the guy seemed more significant than necessary, and only hazarded to warn him of how lonely he would be over this holiday. He hadn't changed his opinion about Mike—of course he hadn't—but at least he was there before to provide a distraction. A distraction to everything he didn't wish to think about.

The silence particularly bothered him today as he collapsed backwards onto his bed, loosening the grip on his book and not caring as it slipped from his fingers onto the floor. He wasn't supposed to be acting like this, was he? He _should_ have been taking a shower or choosing an outfit for tonight's off-campus party for the remaining people here. Instead, he was staring up at the ceiling and letting this not-so-new mood swallow him whole.

He was weak. And it was all thanks to her.

_Her._

It was with sincere gratitude that he realized his cell phone was ringing. After rubbing his face in the hopes it would wake him up a little more, he reached into his pocket and pulled it out, first checking the caller ID. He'd learned from previous mistakes not to answer cheerfully enough, only to be dragged down into twenty minute conversations with girls who only wanted to talk about themselves.

Thankfully enough, _this_ girl wasn't like the ones he knew at all, and he was happy to take the call. "Hey," he smiled into the phone, content. "I didn't expect to hear from you."

"_I didn't exactly expect to call you either_," said Mickie James from the other line. She sounded like she had a smile on her face. _"But I was about to call Eve and your name came up as one of the first on my contacts. I thought it wouldn't hurt to see how you were doing."_

He smiled to himself. The Canadian felt that he'd gotten to known Mickie recently, especially considering the situation between her and her best friend, and he'd learnt she wasn't exactly a subtle person. This time round, things hadn't changed; the concern was there in her tone of voice. Plain and simple.

They'd talked a lot about Ashley. The brunette had voiced her concerns over their broken friendship, to which he'd patiently listened and then explained his own issues. Only one thing was decided by the time their conversation had finished: they were both screwed.

And now, remembering their latest encounter, he knew he could give an easy reply. "You mean how am I doing now that I've had my heart ripped out of my chest and stomped on with black, spiky boots?"

"_Oh you, always the dramatic one." _A joke—one needed in the moment. Hearing his chuckle, she proceeded. _"Y'know, Adam, I really am sorry for the way things turned out there... but it doesn't mean that's the end for you two. You can't just give up."_

And here they went again. A weary sigh later, he responded. "I never said I was giving up. I made a promise to myself and her that I wouldn't—no matter what happens. But at the same time, I can't just confront her every time and take all the rejection she hands me. Mickie... it just hurts too much, okay?"

There was a moment of silence between them. In the background, he heard the sound of a television being turned down, and instantly assumed she was about to become a little more serious with him. He wasn't sure if he was ready, or if he even wanted it to go in this direction.

"_I don't know if I've ever told you this story, but stop me if I have. It's about Ash and I, back when we were in high school—before Jason." _He didn't think he'd ever been told about anything pre-him and so listened intently. _"We'd just had one of our most serious fights. Don't ask me what it was about because I can't remember myself. Funny, isn't it – how things that were significant at the time can barely be remembered later on?_

"_Anyway, she was determined not to speak to me. She was determined enough not to speak to me for two whole weeks, which, trust me, is a hell of a long time to go without her sarcastic remarks. It wasn't until I realized how insecure she really was that any attempt of me ignoring her went out of the window. I felt sorry for her instead of angry at her."_

Adam felt the urge to interrupt. "What do you mean, insecure? Wasn't this before that douchebag came onto the scene?"

"_Yes, it was – and what you don't know, Adam, is that deep inside she wasn't stable. Not even then. Her parents argued all the time—that was the reason she didn't want to come home for Christmas break—and her brother was the only person there for her, excluding me, and that was her crutch._

"_She thought now that we'd had a fight, we weren't going to be friends anymore. Like, ever again. And that shocked me, you know? We're best friends! But she knew what it was like to be alone, without anybody... and she thought she'd have to start all over again._

"_My point here—because I know I'm getting off subject—is that one little slip up always leads her to believe she's meant to be alone. And she's going through exactly the same thing now. So no matter what you've told her so far, no matter how hard you've pressed her, you __**have**__ to press her some more. It's the only way you're going to get inside of her head."_

He took this all into account, rubbing his chin as he sat up on his bed. Perching on the edge, he pondered over his options. Mickie James had a way of getting through to him, that was for sure. "I'm definitely going to keep that in mind."

"_Good. I'm glad."_

"And Mickie?"

"_Mhm?" _She questioned, sensing their topic was over and done with.

"You obviously made up with Ashley after that serious fight in high school."

"_Yeah, we did. What's your point?"_

"You should take your own advice. You and her could definitely make up again. You're best friends after all, right?"

Mickie didn't say anything. She didn't have to; the point was understood perfectly. So they both hung up on each other to continue with their days. The brunette would probably spend it with Phil... but what would he be doing?

_

* * *

_

Ashley stared at her phone as she sat on the floor, her legs crossed and her upper body leant against the end of the bed. Her hands were poised over her knees, waiting to either pick up the item or push it away; she hadn't exactly decided yet. All she knew was that the silence she was sitting in was perfect company right now.

Ronny had informed her, as a good brother would, that he would be spending the day out with their parents while they shopped for Christmas decorations to put up. At first, she'd been a little surprised at the information—since when did they need new ones? It was the family tradition to use the ones they'd used since she and Ronny had been little kids. But then she forced herself to move away from the issue; she hardly needed to be warranted an explanation, did she?

The second thing to come to mind was that the house would be empty. This was vital information. Feeling bad for dropping out of the visit home to stay here and hide her worries about her family instead, she'd begun to contemplate a way to make up for it. She felt bad for bailing on them. Would it be okay for her to ring the home phone and leave a message, even if it meant feigning a happy tone and pretending like she hadn't been ignoring the several emails sent her way over the previous few months? It at least sounded like a good idea if the facts were ignored.

The dirty-blonde student bit down on her bottom lip gingerly as she continued to stare at the device. She was having trouble working out the biggest sacrifice: having to lie to her own parents, or actually reaching contact with them at all. Which would be worse?

She didn't have time to work out an answer—a knock on the door distracted her mind from coming up with one. Cautiously, she rose to her feet, ignoring the numb sensation of pins and needles, and stared at it; nobody had knocked on the door since four days ago, when Maria had come to say her goodbyes. And who else knew she'd switched rooms with her... if they were here for her at all?

Forgoing all estimations, Ashley clasped the handle and pulled it open. She would soon find out, it appeared.

As soon as she'd opened the door, she wanted to close it. There was a sudden soar in her chest, catching her off-guard like it always did with this person, as her eyes connected with his. A pink blush tinted her cheeks before she could stop it, and all too suddenly her worst reaction was revealed. The most _embarrassing_ one, as far as she was concerned.

"Before you shut the door on me," Adam begged as the door came his way, and he quickly reached out his hand to block it, "You need to hear me out. Please?"

She nodded. Relieved, he opened his mouth, prepared to talk, only to be surprised when the door slammed in his face instead. He scrunched his eyes shut for a long moment. He _wasn't_ giving up, despite the obstacle in the way; he'd seen the look in her eyes. She felt something for him.

Inside, Ashley tried to swallow down the lump in her throat. Why did he have this effect on her, and why was it getting stronger each time she saw him? It was simply unavoidable now. And why, just _why_, wouldn't he give up? He was making it harder for her to run away.

"I know you're probably already plugged into your iPod by now... but just in case you're not, I'm going to say what I have to say now." His voice was raised through the door. There was no way she couldn't have heard him. There was also no way she wouldn't want to hear him. "And what I have to say is simple. It's so simple that it should be easy to understand. And I hope you do."

She waited.

The sentence finally arrived. "Even though you pushed me away, I'm still going to be here for you. I'll _always_ be here for you. And I'm going to wait until you realize that. Just say the word and I'll come running. I promise."

What more could a girl ask from a guy? Ashley hadn't asked anything, in fact, but she was still receiving it. His word. It meant everything to her, even if she wasn't willing to admit it. The stubborn side of her still had her body pressed against the door, not daring to move in fear of being heard.

"That's all I wanted to say." Adam lowered his voice. She heard him inhale a quick, faint breath. "I'll leave you alone now."

Surely enough, she heard the sound of footsteps, and then the sound of them getting further and further away. Inside, she felt as though she should be following those footsteps—running after them, in fact, to catch up with him.

But she stood there instead. Eventually, she released a breath she didn't know she'd been holding in and slowly walked back over to resume her previous position. This time she moved into a tighter ball, no longer paying attention to her phone. It was clear she was no longer in the mood to decide whether to call her parents or not.

Her problem was clear. And as the first tear fell from her eyes, spilling down her cheek, only to be followed quickly by several more, Ashley forced herself to come to terms with it.

When would she stop hiding? Because her feelings—for the first time in a long time—were as clear as day, and it would only be so long before she had to confront them.

_

* * *

_

So there's the next chapter. Please review :)

(_Only __**9**__ more chapters until The Great Escape finishes, btw!)_

Up next is **The Miz/Matt's **chapter.


	32. You Lost Me: The Miz & Matt

The Great Escape

_AN._ Thank you to **quteash, ShadyBillionaire, xHalosandwings, Tiffyxox, Grits0205, xTwistedxImperfectionx, ****HappySmiler, xxchasingdreamsxx, ****TJ Sparkles** _& _**lift-me-up **for reviewing the last chapter.

Thanks very muchly :)

Chapter Thirty-Two – You Lost Me

**

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**

**THE MIZ**

**

* * *

**

"Isn't it, like, totally amazing that we live so close to each other? And if you think about it, this is our first official holiday together as a couple! Isn't that amazing?"

Lowering the magazine to confront his girlfriend's wide grin, Mike Mizanin tried not to allow the frustration he felt in that moment to seep through into his tone. He offered a tight smile. "Totally amazing," he answered, knowing full well that this would be all it would take to set her off again.

He was right.

As he watched Layla El—the petite woman with the big mouth—gabble on some more, he couldn't help but to zone out; he'd developed the ability to do this rather quickly, only saving himself when he managed to nod or give a casual "Mhm" at the right moment. She was just so... generic, as far as popular girls went. Where was the unique part of her personality? Granted that whenever he was stroking her hair affectionately, pretending to share a tender moment, she was a pretty sight to look at—but it still wasn't enough. It was _never_ enough.

This point had been pressing in his mind more as of late, bothering him at night when all he really wanted to do was go to sleep and dream about better things. The reality of his own life—so different than what he'd expected this college phase to be—was hard to come to grips with. But where were these sudden feelings coming from—here he was, judging his lifestyle? It wasn't him at all.

He turned to the next page of his magazine with disguised irritation. The sharp turn of his fingers appeared to be lost on Layla, and she advanced towards him with a subtle smirk, clearly no longer in the mood for talking.

"And," A whisper escaped through her lips, causing him to glance at her once more, "We have a little over a week of bliss to enjoy together—_any way we want._" She raised an eyebrow suggestively. "My parents are out of the house right now... and would you look at this? We're all alone in my bedroom."

It was no longer than ten seconds later that he realized what he was in for and as she pushed his magazine aside, not particularly caring as it fell to the ground, and she crawled across her bed to get him, he also realized another thing: he didn't want this.

If he hadn't been caught up in the moment, he probably would have questioned himself for the very thought. He was The Miz, the ultimate player! Him not wanting sex—especially from such a hot girlfriend, one he'd managed to snag much to the displeasure of his friends—was absolutely absurd. Wasn't it? He was supposed to seize the moment... over and over again.

But as she softly pressed her lips against his, her hands pressed against his chest, the feeling grew. When he closed his eyes to attempt to enjoy the moment, running a hand through her dark, sleek hair, the feeling grew. When she unbuttoned his shirt and then broke away from him to kiss his chest, the feeling grew. It _wouldn't_ stop.

Mike stared up at the ceiling briefly. He knew exactly what was wrong with him.

All too suddenly, thoughts of another girl clouded his thoughts, shadowing anything else he may have been thinking in the moment. Layla—and what she was doing to him—was a distant thought, though his body reacted differently, as his glance turned into a full-on daydream. He would have cursed himself for being so weak towards _her_ if he wasn't so committed to the subject.

How was Eve Torres taking up his time so effortlessly? The brunette simply wouldn't escape his memory. Everything about her... her eyes, her smile, her laugh, her sweet personality... was everything he wasn't willing to forget.

Being his typical self, the first time he'd met Eve, the instant thought to come to his mind was how much fun they would have together in bed—_if_ she didn't have a boyfriend, obviously. He imagined, after just one look of her slender, bronzed legs, that they would have an _extremely_ good time with one another.

But eventually this way of thinking developed into something else—something he couldn't really explain. Because quite frankly, he'd never had a feeling like it before. What was he supposed to make of the fact that... that even without thinking about sex with her, she was _still _on his mind? That both her smile and laugh were easy to remember, and that he liked to think of those two features with a smile of his own. This girl had completely invaded his thoughts with so little trouble that it was almost disturbing.

And she was doing it again. Delving back into reality unwillingly, he caught Layla's lips again; she'd now successfully removed his shirt and was now back to him. He saw the passion in her eyes as she pulled away briefly to look at him—it was _pure_ passion and lust. And yet... he just felt so differently.

The words tumbled out of his mouth before he could stop them. "I have to go." He scrambled to his feet a little too happily, content enough to leave her wondering. "I'll speak to you later, yeah?"

He buttoned his shirt quickly, slipping his feet into his shoes at the same time—all he could really focus on was getting out of there and back to his own house where he'd have time alone. He needed to think. _Just_ to think about what was going on with himself.

So concerned with this, Mike certainly didn't hear the disappointment in Layla's tone as she finally answered, "Or maybe you won't," softly in his direction.

He didn't answer. Instead, Layla was left alone in her room, in her empty house, as her boyfriend raced down the stairs two at a time simply to get away from her.

**

* * *

**

**MATT**

**

* * *

**

Throwing his keys down on the kitchen table, Matt Hardy finally allowed himself to release a sigh of relief. He'd been holding it in for the entire day, simply waiting for his moment to let it out, and now it'd arrived. He even dared to smile as he opened the fridge door and rooted around for a nice, cool drink to celebrate with. Now this Matt—the happy, content Matt—was definitely a guy he could get used to being.

The reason for his mood was simple. After five straight days of working, he was now eligible for his Christmas break. He had just over a couple of weeks off from his tiring shifts at the store, and he planned to use them well... if _well_ could be described as lazing around the house, watching films and sleeping for most of the day, that was. It would be the best two weeks of his life, without any troubles or cares in the world. He knew he needed the rest.

Popping off the lid of the soft drink he'd found in the depths of the fridge, he turned, ready to climb what seemed to be a mountain—but was rather the stairs of his house—to get to his room. All he really wanted to do was collapse on his bed, re-hydrate himself and stare at the ceiling; he'd been the King of that, whatever _that_ could be called, recently enough. It was becoming quite the habit.

"Oh... hi, Matt."

It was _her_ voice that stopped him from doing so. As if facing a nightmare, the dark-haired adult turned slowly—almost too slowly. When his eyes finally met hers, he knew he had to attempt a smile. No matter how difficult the task would be. "Eve," he nodded, "Hey." Then, pushing himself even further, he added, "How are you?"

He knew it was a stupid question to ask. The answer was fairly obvious, if he remembered their last conversation correctly. It was also obvious if he remembered the last time she'd visited his house, arriving to drop off his present but only having the courage to leave it on the porch. Yeah, the answer was obvious.

Except she didn't know that he'd seen her in that moment, and she replied with a faint air of confidence about her. "I'm... _good._" It had taken her a while to come up with an accurate answer. She still wasn't sure if "good" was one. "I'm hanging out here for a while until Maria's found this CD Jeff promised to find for her. You know what they're like." After rolling her eyes playfully, she added, "But yeah, that's why I'm here... in case you were wondering."

"It's not a problem." He shook his head, offering his own half-hearted smile.

This time, he wasn't entirely sure if he was telling the truth; was it perfectly okay that his ex-girlfriend, the girl he didn't think he'd have any problems with whatsoever, was standing opposite him right now? Things were _awkward_ between them—to say the least—and it was clear their issues weren't going to be sorted out.

Did they even have issues with each other?

As far as Matt was concerned, he didn't think so. He knew it sounded harsh, but their break-up had explained it all to him. He was still suffering, of course he was, but he'd seen the truth in their problems. They _wouldn't_ work. And no matter how much it broke his heart to see them in this state, so unlike their former selves, he was sure it was for the best.

Eve Torres was the kind of girl who wanted to go places. She wanted to travel and see the world—he'd learnt this in the early days of their relationship. She'd been half-asleep in his arms in the backyard, and they were both staring up at the stars. _"I want to see everything," _she had muttered with a dopey smile. And he'd admired her for it, kissing her forehead tenderly before carrying her up to his room and tucking her into his bed.

But now he could see how it separated them. She had four years of college to go through and even if he promised he'd wait for her until she was finished, she'd _still_ want to travel the world. The funny thing was he was perfectly happy where he was. He wasn't opposed to travelling; he was just _comfortable._ Some people just were. And they were certainly different in that life-changing way.

It was difficult to come to terms with, but either way, they both had to move on. He just wasn't sure how yet.

"Well I better go and find her then," smiled the brunette timidly. "I was just coming down here to get my things. I'm hoping that if she sees I'm ready to go she'll be more inclined to leave."

Her smile wavered when all he had to give was a nod. He noticed it, too. It was for the mere fact that he still loved and very much cared about her that he pressed his hand against her arm as she went to pass, stopping her for a brief moment. "I know it's not supposed to be like this between us," he said softly, unsure where his words were coming from, "But in time this'll be nothing more than a memory. It won't hurt nearly as much as it does now."

The Latina glanced up at him, and for the first time in a while he saw the confidence in her eyes. "Is that what you're telling yourself right now?"

"In a way, yes... yes, it is." He shrugged.

They stayed in contact for a second or two longer, until he felt he had to pull away. It was with a huge amount of unease that he headed up the stairs, ignoring the sight of Maria rummaging through the CD collection on the hallway, Jeff beside her with a bored expression on his face, and stepped into his bedroom. He shut the door behind him before he decided to collapse onto his bed.

He simply didn't know what to think anymore.

**

* * *

**

Shopping came naturally to Eve Torres. It was, as funny as it was to hear for other people, a soothing experience in which she was allowed to release her worries and not care about anything for a few hours. New purchases—and simply knowing she _could_ buy a shiny, new item—were very comforting to think about.

So how had she found herself locked inside a dressing room in one of her favourite shops with a bunch of clothes just sitting on her lap, waiting to be tried on but not getting the chance? Instead of thinking about how pretty she would look in the pink baby-doll dress, or how the sharp, black cardigan would make her eyes pop, she was having a crisis. It was a crisis she hadn't exactly seen coming, but should have expected anyway.

She was well aware that Maria was back out there in the shop and searching for her own fashion pieces, but the redhead faded out of her thought as Matt came to mind. Ever since their encounter just an hour ago, she hadn't been able to concentrate right; her thoughts were all mixed up and she was struggling to make sense of everything.

And what was going on when even shopping couldn't cure the problem?

As natural as shopping was to her, she reached into her bag for her cell phone. She hadn't anticipated the move but seemed to know exactly what she was doing as she dialled a number she'd come to learn off by heart. "Hey," she answered quickly no sooner had he answered, "We're friends, right? You'd consider us friends... right?"

"_Torres, there's this thing called taking a breath. Maybe you want to try it."_ Cody Rhodes sounded like he was smirking. She imagined he would be, listening to this conversation. _"And yeah, we're friends... more friends with __**benefits**__, but friends all the same."_

The brunette ignored his casual statement, forcing herself to do so, and continued. "Then I'm having a problem and I need to speak to you."

"_A problem—a problem you have to talk to me about? Eve, don't get me wrong, but aren't you at home with your friends? Aren't you supposed to talk to them about problems?"_

"But... that's the thing." She paused for a moment, unaware of how to proceed. "I don't want to talk to you. I don't need to talk to you. I just... I just _need_ for you to talk to me. About anything. About everything. Please?"

"_Torres?"_ He sounded cautious.

Eve knew she sounded crazy. If Cody had suddenly called her and demanded the same thing, she would have called him a nut and hung up—but it was the fact he wasn't doing just this that had her wishful. "Look, I know how it sounds... but I've had a bad day, and I really just need a distraction. You said we were friends and I believe you. And right now, I just _need_ this. Okay?"

Cody wasn't sure what was happening, but answered all the same. _"Okay, fine."_ A moment later, he was laughing. _"Oh, let me tell you about Ted and his awful chat-up lines..."_

Eve closed her eyes and listened. This—despite not knowing what exactly _this_ happened to be—was all she wanted right now. Constant thoughts of Matt... the occasional fluttering when she thought of Mike... they could all be pushed aside right now. It suited her just fine.

**

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**

So there's the next chapter. Please review :)

Up next is **Randy's **chapter.


	33. The Distance Between Us: Randy

The Great Escape

_AN._ Thank you to **xHalosandwings, quteash, TJ Sparkles, xxchasingdreamsxx, xTwistedxImperfectionx, Tiffyxox, WweDivaTayTay45 **_& _**John Cena's Field Hockey Star **for reviewing the last chapter.

Thanks very muchly :)

Chapter Thirty-Three – The Distance Between Us

* * *

**RANDY**

* * *

This was torture.

Seated around the dinner table with both his family and that of next door's to him, Randy Orton simply knew the next couple of hours would be dragged out and slowly drive him insane. He hadn't been keen on the idea of going home for Christmas break in the first place, but this just confirmed his worst fears; this remaining week would be the worst.

Over his dinner plate, the dark-haired student stared at the girl sitting conveniently opposite to him. Michelle McCool wore that perfect smile of hers as she conversed with members of his family, and for the first time since they'd met he saw the fake sincerity in the girl's gesture. How had he been so blind to her motives before? Now, it all seemed clear to see.

Of course, the blonde looked stunning in a simple pair of jeans and a cute grey tank top with intricate black butterfly designs. Her hair was short and curled, while her make-up was subtle and appropriate for the company. She'd always managed to look flawless in the hot model kind of way—no matter how much he wished to deny it.

He suddenly found himself grateful that he knew the real girl; it was comforting to know he wasn't still being duped into believing she was the nicest person he'd come to know. Once seen as ugly on the inside, it was hard to see her in a different light, and now he merely saw her as ugly on the outside too.

She caught his stare. Digging her fork into a piece of fresh lettuce on her plate, she paused, and smiled in the next second. That smile of hers... it was so innocent and friendly. She didn't know that he'd worked out her lie to Maria.

He broke the contact to glare at his own plate of food—he simply couldn't handle everything he now saw in his ex-girlfriend. It was unethical. He'd been with her for years, and yet it felt like he hadn't known her at all. Now she was nothing more than a stranger to him. It sickened him.

But he knew he wasn't the one to feel sorry for in this situation. This privilege was handed to Maria Kanellis, who was now on his lonely mind and not bothering to escape his thoughts anytime soon. She invaded his memories completely—as it was often the case—and moved him to a better place for a good while.

He was grateful for the distraction. Anything that could take him away from reality was much appreciated.

It was his mother's voice that brought him back into it, whispering subtly into his ear in the midst of all the family chatter. "It's a shame you and Chelle have broken up, isn't it? I always thought you two would be together forever – as cheesy as it sounds."

Randy almost stabbed at the piece of meat underneath his knife. He knew she meant well, that she was absolutely harmless, but he'd been receiving comments of the same nature ever since he'd returned from college and announced the split. Enough was enough. "Well things change, Mom," he muttered, trying to push the frustration he felt out of his tone.

"Obviously." The adult answered, and then hastily added, "But where did it go wrong for you young lovebirds? You won't tell anyone."

Now was hardly the most opportune time to speak the utter truth, but he couldn't help the itch that needed to be scratched. He and Michelle's relatives would never be satisfied until they got a proper outcome, and his perfect ex was hardly going to spill the beans, was she?

"Okay Mom, I'll tell you." He set down his cutlery and turned to her calmly. "I fell in love with another girl. She's beautiful – a gorgeous redhead – and she's so down to earth. She's witty without knowing she is, and she doesn't even have to try with me. She just _is_. She made me realize, for the first time in my life, what love actually is. I love everything about her. I love her. I'm in love with her.

"And no, before you ask, I didn't break up with Michelle for that exact reason. It helped push me to that point, sure, but it also helped me realize how unhappy I was in my own relationship. We were stale... past our sell-by-date—and I know you want to believe we were perfect together, but we definitely weren't. We looked like it but it was just a lie. Our relationship became a lie.

"And it doesn't help, of course, that I've now realized how much of a bitch she is." About to be told off for this coarse language used, despite the stunned reaction, he hastily continued. "After we broke up—and even before that—she didn't like this new girl. So she lied to her. She was manipulative enough to make it seem like I was the callous one in our relationship and it made that sweet girl unable to trust me any longer.

"So there are a couple of reasons why we broke up. Mom, I'm in love with a girl called Maria Kanellis and I can only hope she'll believe me when I try to explain this mess to her. As for Michelle? I honestly don't care."

His mother was still rendered speechless.

"May I be excused now?"

After being nodded her consent, he rose to his feet. A casual glance in Michelle's direction said it all—she'd heard every word of all he had to say on the matter. She looked, beyond anything, bitter about the subject.

And as Randy traipsed up to his room, he decided he simply didn't care. The blonde would probably try and lie her way out of the issue—it was the least he could expect actually—but he didn't care. _She_ wasn't the main concern here, and they both knew it.

He collapsed onto his bed with a heavy sigh and stared up at his ceiling not a moment later. Even if he could somehow stop his brain from thinking about Maria, he wasn't sure he would want it to. She was beautiful, and just the mere image of her made him feel better about himself. She was the ultimate pick-me-up.

And yet, thanks to the false detail that had been given to her involving him, he couldn't give a proper smile at the thought of her. As soon as her pretty face clouded his thoughts, it wasn't long after that he remembered Michelle's deceitful lie, and how Maria actually believed her. Or seemed to, anyway. It was just horrible. What a mess they were all in.

He knew that he had to rectify the situation though. Having been forced to tell her the truth over an impersonal phone call, he wasn't sure what her exact response was—she'd hung up, but was that out of surprise or disgust? Did she believe him or not? Was she on Michelle's side after all?

Unable to help himself, he leaned over to reach his desk and grab his phone. He held it above him as he lay on his back, and for a moment he did nothing; he was fairly sure the answer to his unasked question was obvious. But he still found himself pressing a button on the device, only to watch it light up and reveal that no, there _weren't_ any new messages.

He missed her.

Dropping the phone into the space beside him, he let out another sigh. Then he closed his eyes and delved deep into his thoughts, content to spend the rest of his evening thinking about all of the encounters they'd shared ever since the first time they'd met.

* * *

The excited little girl in Maria Kanellis was re-emerging once again during this Christmas break. It couldn't be helped—not that anybody around her was surprised by the character change—and it wouldn't be helped; it was Christmas Eve, and that was reason enough for the general mood to be joyous. And _maybe_ she was a little too joyous but that wasn't a bad thing, was it?

A perfect smile graced the girl's pretty features as she picked up a fallen decoration from the floor and placed it back on the huge free in their living room. She felt... homely. It was a lovely feeling to have, no matter how much she enjoyed college, and she revelled in it. Her delicate fingers placed the mini gingerbread man back on its fake branch; it fitted perfectly into place.

Smiling at all of the work that had gone into making this place look like something worth celebrating, she stepped back. A couple of minutes out of her time were used to admire her surroundings before she turned around, happy to find Mickie and Eve staring back at her from the doorway.

"It looks beautiful, Maria," commented the Latina of the two, and they both stepped into the room to join her. The paused image of a young Macaulay Culkin in his _Home Alone_ debut on the television screen made her laugh softly. "You really are getting into the spirit, aren't you?"

"Oh come on, Eve, you know what she's like." The other girl rolled her eyes playfully. "But I have to say I'm happy that I decided to spend some of my evening here. It's nice."

"And I'm happy you could tear yourself away from Phil long enough to spend some time with your girls."

Maria giggled at the exchange between them as the shorter of the two hit her lightly on the arm for the comment about her boyfriend. In the next instant, she sobered; despite feeling content and at peace with the day, she also felt something else. It took only a moment to realize what this was. "It isn't the same without Ash," she mumbled as she walked over to the couch and took a seat.

"As much as I hate to admit it," said Eve, following suit, "I agree. I mean, I didn't know what to think when I slipped in the kitchen just now and she wasn't there to laugh at me. I miss that bitch."

Mickie didn't answer straightaway. She watched the two as, dejected, Maria pressed a button on the remote to take the film off of pause. "I miss her too," was all she offered eventually before she came to sit down beside them. Her tone of voice gave it all away; she missed her best friend an awful lot.

For the next half an hour or so, there was silence between the trio as they watched the film. Unbeknownst to the other, they all had issues on their mind—Eve was worrying about the mess called her love life, Mickie was thinking about her best friend and what she was doing, while Maria was trying but failing not to think about her own problems.

The latter slipped further into her seat as she lost herself completely. One of her favourite movies of all time completely evaded her mind as Randy Orton came to her thoughts instead; it had been a while since she'd thought of him—this was on purpose, as she didn't trust herself otherwise—and tonight was certainly quite the occasion to pull herself back into the old habit.

She wondered what he was doing right now. It was Christmas Eve, obviously, so maybe he'd be out? Maybe he was out with his friends, ones he hadn't seen since heading to college, and they were having a brilliant time together? ... Or maybe he was enjoying some quality time with his family and those closest to him?

Did this include Michelle?

Something seemed to twist in her stomach as the image of the tall blonde came to mind. After all that Randy had told her in that last phone call, it was hard to see her friend in any other light than the one she saw her in today—she was now the traitorous, jealous bitch. She had no doubt that he was telling the truth about his ex-girlfriend, no matter how strong her bond was with Michelle; there was simply something in his tone that cemented her trust in his words. Michelle McCool was the bad guy in this story and that was that.

But what about him?

She'd spent so long building a case against him—if not for her protection, then for her friend's—and now it had been torn down completely. The guy she'd pinned Randy to be was no longer him at all. She wanted to think of him as a careless heartbreaker for the split with Michelle, even if she didn't believe it for one second. But while the accusation did make it easier for her to deal with these forbidden feelings she had inside, there was always something off about it—and now everything she secretly felt was proven to be true.

Just what was she supposed to do? She hadn't called or texted him back after their last form of contact, and the next step to take was unclear.

"I'm going to head off in about twenty minutes, I think." Mickie's voice brought her back into reality, and she turned to the brunette with a polite smile. "My parents want me back to help sort out presents for everyone. I don't know why I always get stuck with sorting out which one is for who—I enjoyed doing it when I was little, but I think I've proven – you know, what with college – that I'm grown-up now."

"Parents don't want to let their babies go. Mine, of course, are more focused on my brother but what can you do?" Eve shrugged. "Whatever. Twenty minutes is okay. Ooh, we can decorate those cookies in that time."

"Good point. Dibs on the biggest one!" And with nothing more that needed to be said after the thought of cookies, both disappeared. Only Eve realized that her best friend wasn't following and stuck her head around the living room door, confused. "Are you coming?"

"Yeah, I'm just going to finish this film and then I'll join you—there's only a couple of minutes left and you know how I like my happy endings."

"Of course I do. Okay, I'll save you some icing."

As soon as the brunette disappeared, she turned to face the screen. She didn't, however, pay any attention to it and instead dug out her phone from the pocket of her jeans; she had something else other than _Home Alone_ on her mind.

Scrolling down to his name in her list of contacts, she hesitated for a moment before finally pressing down on the "Send Message" option. She waited for a second as it loaded and then focused on the keypad.

_Merry Christmas. I miss you. x_

Then, after some careful thought, she sighed and removed the last sentence. It was a fairly standard text to send and she felt bad as she did just that, pushing her cell phone back into her pocket. It wasn't much, but perhaps it was something.

Turning off the television, Maria jumped to her feet. It was time to inject some of that fantastic mood she'd felt earlier back into the bloodstream. It was Christmas Eve, after all.

* * *

So there's the next chapter. Please review :)

Up next is **Ted/Punk's **chapter.


	34. Happiness: Ted

**The Great Escape**

_AN._ Thank you to **lift-me-up, xxchasingdreamsxx, John Cena's Field Hockey Star, xHalosandwings, Grits0205, Tiffyxox, xTwistedxImperfectionx, quteash **_&_ **TJ Sparkles** for reviewing the last chapter.

Thanks very muchly :)

Chapter Thirty-Four – Happiness

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**TED**

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"So Cody, did you ever call the doctor to get the results of that STI test?"

It was all Ted DiBiase could do not to give away the smile he was hiding behind his glass of coke as his comment, casual as ever when asked, drove away the two girls who'd been sitting opposite them in Rick's diner; he really was beginning to love the little tricks that conveniently got people to disappear.

He loved it, even if his best friend was now turning to him with a familiar glare in his eyes. While he took another noisy sip of his drink through his straw, Cody Rhodes shrugged his shoulders at him. "Was that really necessary? I was getting somewhere with the blonde one."

"Oh yeah? What was her name?"

"... Tiffany?" The guy sounded unsure in his answer, but rolled his eyes in frustration at the chuckle he received. "Whatever – it definitely began with a T. What does it matter anyway? I was in there with her... and you totally could have had her friend!"

"So maybe I could've 'had' her—the thing you have to realize, Cody, is that I'm not you." He explained, dousing his last fry in ketchup and eating it. "When I eventually get into a relationship, I really don't want the start of our story to begin in the bedroom."

"Whoa! Who said anything about a relationship?" Eyes widened and jaw dropped, Cody looked as though his worst nightmare had just come true. The mention of commitment was clearly too much to handle. "All I wanted was the perfect present today. Where's your Christmas spirit?"

Sitting in the local diner on that special morning and guzzling down a very unhealthy meal, trying to chat up a couple of girls in the meanwhile, he obviously wasn't aware that this tradition of theirs wasn't anything like that of other people's; Ted, on the other hand, was nothing if on the dot about their plans.

"Okay, fine. While you go and play the Christmas cougar, I'm going on that run I said I would go on an hour ago. It's time to work off all the fat I've just devoured."

"Fine, go ahead and be boring. Either I haven't seen this in you before, or Mickie really has tamed you into some... some uninteresting person. You should really be more productive like me."

Midway through getting out of his seat and the whole place, the blonde paused. Were they really going through this again—or better yet, was she really being used again to point out the obvious differences between them? Despite his mood, he had to smile – Mickie James had managed to do the one thing to Cody that no other girl had done, and that was to confuse him.

He and Mickie's friendship had been questioned severely in the early days by him; Cody simply hadn't understood how two members of the opposite sex could be friends without any benefits whatsoever. While yes, there had been a crush developing in the early days, it was soon put on the backburner when a real, great relationship between them formed. This, more than anything, didn't make sense to his friend.

It was simple to him: the brunette had quickly become his girl best friend. His _guy_ best friend just didn't understand that.

"Whatever – have fun finding a girl who's willing to come out on Christmas day. I'm going home to spend it with my family."

Cody got over his crisis to ask, "I thought you were going for a run?"

"Maybe I'll jog back," smirked the college student, finally standing to his feet. "Have fun being a loner."

The accusation alone was enough to paint a sour expression on his friend's face, and Ted had no problem looking at it until he reached the exit—or at least there was no problem until, on account of not looking where he was going, he bumped into someone at the door.

This someone wasn't just anyone, it seemed.

With long tresses of blonde hair cascading down her back and a distinctive French accent, heard only when she almost fell into him and began cursing, he was sure that the stunning girl in front of him was familiar for a reason.

He apparently couldn't help his smile as he apologized, steadying her and then quickly pulling his hands back to his side. He felt more than stupid for this error.

She gave him a smile that he'd seen before. It warmed him. "I didn't know you lived around here, Ted. I'm Maryse... we have a couple of classes together."

Maryse, that was it. He smiled again. "Yeah, I remember now. So, what are you doing here on today of all days?

"Cooking gone wrong back at home." The French girl giggled. "This is the only place I know that's open that I can collect from."

"Oh right. Well I better go; I have to get back to my house. Again, I'm really sorry for bumping into you."

"I believed you the first time." She accepted his apology. "Maybe I'll see you around?"

"Yeah, maybe." He nodded. As she brushed past him, he couldn't help but feel like their conversation wasn't over. "You know," he turned and spoke before he really knew what he was doing. "Cody's having a party tomorrow. You could come along to that if you like."

"That would be great." She answered.

And as he quickly reached inside his pocket for a pen and something to write on—not only to give her the address, but his number too—Ted DiBiase was certain of the lingering look that passed between them. Though he didn't know what, it was a sure thing that something between him and Maryse was going to happen.

* * *

The smile on Mickie's face couldn't be ignored for any longer.

It had been a permanent feature throughout the day, starting from the moment she got out of the shower and realized how perfect everything seemed to be and staying until this moment, in which her friends were eyeing her warily. Even her family were surprised to see her so happy at the dinner table, as she grinned her way through the main course and dessert.

And now in the comfort of her bedroom, opened presents scattered about at the bottom of her bed, Eve and Maria were _still_ looking at her in suspicion. The latter of the two started off the inevitable questions. "Does Phil really make you this happy?"

"Are you telling me," continued Eve, "that the ultimate put-school-work-in-front-of-stupid-guys girl... is smiling like an idiot because of Phil?"

She glanced in-between the two, shaking her head. "I know it may come as a shock to you, but this smile is all down to him."

Maria didn't need convincing. "I'm really happy for you, Mickie!" She exclaimed suddenly. Of course, the idea of love to her was magical and wonderful—the fact that one of her close friends had found it only excited her more. "That is _so_ sweet."

"Thank you." The brunette smiled and leaned back to rest on her pillow. The other two were sitting idly around her room but both in ear-shot of her and anticipating the story to come. "I know I told you about him coming all the way from Chicago just to be with me for a day, but I can't get over it. No guy has ever made such a commitment to me before."

"Me either, sweetie," smiled the redhead. "It's just so cute."

"I mean, he _flew_ all this way just to tell me that he wanted to be with me. I can't stop smiling because every time I think about it, my feelings for him just grow stronger. God, I can't wait until we get back to college. It's just going to be me and him... and, well, a few thousand other students and classes in-between, but is that really the point?"

Eve laughed. "I guess not." Then, a beat later, added, "And you can count on Christian and Chris to make fun of you for it."

"Oh whatever. I'll either be too happy with Phil or too busy laughing at them – two guys who haven't had a girlfriend in ages, by the way, and are still drooling over Trish – to care. Life is sweet."

It was the first time she'd actually thought this way. Sure, it wasn't _all_ great—Ashley popping up into her mind reminded her of this, and then the sudden loneliness that touched her, despite finding Phil, soon after; it just wasn't the same with three girls instead of four—but for now, she was happy. That was all that mattered on this special day.

"And I have a new phone to celebrate. Now _that's_ sweet." Eve nodded approvingly. "Have you seen what it can do? Free internet access anywhere and cheaper minutes on the weekend. I'm in love. Sorry Mickie, I might just have you beat on this one."

"You know, if Ashley were here, she'd be kicking your ass for that comment."

"Of course she would," smiled Mickie, agreeing with Maria. "iPods are allowed to be considered God in technologic fashion, but phones? Eve, you really have to set your priorities straight."

After laughing, the Latina settled. "I guess that's true. Call me crazy, but I miss that... that fun-eater a little bit."

She'd said it before, but it didn't make it any less true. The dynamic just wasn't the same. Where were the scathing remarks tossed back and forth, and the ever-growing pessimism?

Mickie mused over this as she stood to her feet and made her way over to her computer to put some holiday music on. The memory of telling Adam about Ashley's rape and then having her walk in and find this out still haunted her to this day, but she felt a little better about herself for it each time. She'd taught herself not to regret what she did—as far as she was concerned, if the truth hadn't been revealed when it did, her best friend would only have gotten worse. She was glad to have taken a step forward.

She moved back into reality a minute later after realizing she'd been staring at the screen for a little too long. "So, who's up for some Mariah Carey?"

"Classic!" Maria beamed. "I love Christmas. I love the classic music, the presents, the day, the... everything!"

"Ladies and gentleman, my best friend." Eve pretended to announce to the room. "Always the one who has too much eggnog."

All three laughed as Mariah's catchy cover of "All I Want For Christmas" piped up from her computer's speakers. Even without Ashley, they could make a good time work... right?

"Mariah Carey, really? I should have known you guys would pick that trash." From the doorway, Ashley appeared, one hand on her hip and a light smirk curving her lips.

It took only a few seconds of muted surprise for them to realize just who was confronting them, and then they all made the expected reactions. Maria's grin only grew wider at the insult, though she felt warmed inside that her friend was here, and Mickie's smile dropped just a little bit. She wasn't disappointed in the slightest bit... just cautious.

It was Eve who had the strongest—and strangest—reaction. Rushing over to the blonde, she wrapped her arms around her. "Oh, you're here – the depressing fun-eater is here!"

And a few seconds later, she pulled away and gasped, "What am I _doing?_", at the same time Ashley grimaced and said, "What are you doing?"

The brunette attempted to casually walk away and pretend like the hug didn't happen, while Mickie turned down the volume of the Christmas tune and turned to face her best friend. She swallowed when she realized the girl was staring right at her, and that her smirk had turned into the smallest smile.

"Surprise." Ashley shrugged up her shoulders. Letting out a nervous laugh, she explained herself. "It was lonely in the halls all by myself, and I couldn't take looking at Eve's poster of Ian Somerhalder for another day."

"He is the most perfect human being—"

Maria quickly silenced her best friend, pressing a hand onto her wrist. "We'll just get out of your way. Go downstairs and find the stash of cookies or something..."

"No, don't," said the blonde and looked in-between all of them. "I guess you all have to hear me out for what I'm about to say." Then she turned back to Mickie, who was still shocked to see her and failing to keep it covered up. "This might seem sudden to you... and I really don't blame you considering we haven't spoken in so long, but I'm just so sick of not being friends with you. You know I'm not good with the whole making-up thing so I'll keep it short and simple: I miss you, I forgive you and I want you in my life again. It's not the same without you."

The brunette felt like she ought to have said more, but in that moment all she could really say was, "About time." And bounding over to her best friend, she squeezed her into a death-hug so hard that only she was allowed to do to her. "I've missed you, too. And I am sorry about what happened with Adam. I just thought... I guess I just thought he deserved to know."

"Yeah, I know. I've accepted that now."

The two smiled at each other for a moment or two longer, and then Mickie reminded herself that there were other people in the room. Still, an overbearing amount of happiness touched her as she turned to the other two. "And hey, even Eve's missed you."

She scoffed. "Whatever. I totally haven't."

"Good – because I haven't either." The blonde replied. "Though it was getting a little quiet without your stupid music and gossip and feelings around." Just as Eve's lips curved into a little smile, she pointed a finger at her. "But if that ever leaves this room, I won't hesitate to hurt you."

"Oh! Everything's the same again!" Maria clapped her hands together and rushed over to the computer to turn up the volume again. In her own magical world, it appeared that music helped the atmosphere. "Today has totally exceeded all the expectations I had."

Mickie couldn't help but to agree. She had so many questions for her best friend—about Adam, about her family—but as they sat down on the bed together, all she could think about doing was catching up with her. Their friendship was still as strong as ever, and though she knew it would be, she was still so grateful for it.

She'd come home with two problems and now they'd both been solved. All was back on track—or it would be—with Ashley, and she was finally in a good relationship with Punk.

Happiness.

It was great to finally have it.

* * *

So there's the next chapter. Please review :)

Up next is **the girls' **chapter.


	35. Friendship Over

**The Great Escape**

_AN._ Thank you to **Tiffyxox, xHalosandwings, TJ Sparkles, lift-me-up, WweDivaTayTay45, xxchasingdreamsxx, John Cena's Field Hockey Star, Grits0205, sophia0401, BigRedMachineUK, quteash **_&_ **xTwistedxImperfectionx **for reviewing the last chapter.

Thanks very muchly! :)

Chapter Thirty-Five – Friendship Over

* * *

**THE GIRLS**

* * *

It was finally time to head back to college.

Unlike the journey they'd made going there, all four girls had decided to take the train for the long couple of hours back, claiming the shared car had been used well enough for now; in a way, as they sat opposite each other in their carriage, it was a nice change to agree upon. Sometimes change was a good thing.

One thing remained the same, however, and Ashley experimented with it freely once again, a familiar scowl crossing her features. "Does she really have to play her music so loudly?" She asked – somewhat hypocritically – as the other two turned to look at the accused, who was looking out of the window blissfully enough with her headphones blocking out those surrounding her.

While her best friend merely laughed, happy to have the pessimistic student back in the group, Maria rolled her eyes playfully. "Leave Eve alone—she's just having some time to herself before we have to go back into our busy lives. We all need a moment, right?"

"Her moment has lasted for the last twenty minutes but whatever." The blonde shrugged nonchalantly, flicking back her hair and staring out of the window. Images blurred together quickly, catching her full attention with each new sight. "What does she need 'a moment' for anyway?" She mumbled absentmindedly.

It was a rhetorical question so nobody answered, but it did arouse a personal interest in the three girls. They were all quiet for a while—the only sound being the train picking up speed and Eve's rap music—as they thought about the moments they would need.

Maria shrunk into herself as she thought about Randy. He'd sent a reply to her Christmas text that she didn't expect: _Merry Christmas to you too. I miss you, Maria._ Upon reading it, she'd allowed a smile to touch her lips – he had said what she hadn't dared to. Thinking about it now, heading back to where he would soon be, she couldn't help but to feel anxious. Now what would happen?

Adam Copeland was on Ashley's mind, and for once she didn't particularly mind. She was getting sick and tired of hiding from him – both in thought and reality. Especially when she could no longer deny her own feelings. The stubborn attitude she always upheld was finally dropped as she thought about him. The first guy to truly love her for her. Only she didn't cringe or cower away; she welcomed the fact he would be there once she stepped foot on college ground. He was her safety, after all.

Mickie was pleasantly surprised to find that she had no worries at all for once. She would be going back to her new boyfriend, her annoying yet irreplaceable guy friends and her important studies. Out of all those among her, she was finally the one to have it all figured out. There was no more pretending.

With this in mind, she turned. It was a beat later that the happy smile on her face vanished completely. "Hey Ash," she began softly and discreetly, "What are your plans when we get back?"

"Move my things as quickly as possible back into our room."

"That's not what I mean."

The blonde knew this. Maria, sensing it wasn't her place to intrude, excused herself to head to the nearest restroom, while Mickie waited patiently for an answer.

"I don't know." Ashley finally admitted. "I don't know if I'm ready for this."

"A boyfriend who loves you?"

"I know it sounds crazy, but after everything that happened in the past I'm not sure I can handle putting myself out there again. That was the old me... this fearless girl who risked almost everything. And now look at me..." There was silence for a moment. "I'm not the same person anymore."

It was heartbreaking to see her so down and faithless when the brunette knew she was worth so much more than she gave herself credit for. She rested a light hand on her shoulder—a gesture that was usually forbidden—and said, "Ash, do you really think you're like that? Of course you're not the same person. Who would be after what happened?"

"I should be—"

"_But,"_ she interrupted wisely, "You're stronger than you've ever been. Think about what you've done in the past few days. You put your pride aside and apologized to me, and you came home to your family; that couldn't have been easy. You've changed so much."

The comment lingered in the air for a moment. "But it's _Adam!_" She whined childishly a second or two later. "How am I supposed to approach him? He's this stupid, arrogant, into himself idiot who thinks the world revolves around him—"

"You're still in love with him." At the grumble she received, Mickie laughed. "Besides, all of those _qualities_ make you perfect for each other. Promise me you'll tell him how you feel, Ash."

"But—"

"_Promise me."_

"Okay, fine – I promise. But for the record, I don't think I like this new demanding Mickie James." The amusement in her tone wasn't to be missed and both shared a faint smile.

As if she'd known their conversation was over, Eve turned off her iPod, yanked her headphones out of her ears and looked at them. As she went to talk, a couple of teenagers passed by in the corridor, their cell phones blasting music out loudly. "Wow," she scoffed, shaking her head in disbelief, "Some people just don't understand peace and quiet, do they?"

* * *

The girls were college-bound by the early afternoon. It took about ten minutes of walking from the train station – with their belongings – to arrive back on campus, but they made the short journey in impressive timing. Standing in front of their dorm building, all four looked around the grounds to hopefully spot a familiar face, but all the while eager to get inside.

"Look who it is." Mickie smirked. They followed the brunette's gaze into the distance. "Ted's back... and ooh, isn't that Maryse with him?"

"Yeah, she's in my English Literature class." Eve nodded. She promptly caught sight of Cody behind them, smiled and murmured, "I heard she was a bitch."

"You heard that from Michelle when they were roommates together, remember?" At just the mention of the blonde, Maria shook her head. "I'd be willing to bet those are just rumours."

"Well I'd definitely give her the benefit of the doubt. Just look at the smile on Ted's face! I've never seen him look at me like that before – the boy has an obvious crush."

"Do tell us more, relationship expert," smirked the blonde beside her, amused.

"Well I do know Eve is looking at Cody though he's a piece of meat she can't wait to chew on."

"Gross." The brunette commented, echoing everybody else's thoughts as she turned on her heel and proudly stalked ahead. "And that's _so_ not true."

"It totally is." The redhead laughed. Set to follow her inside, Maria was to be caught off-guard when Michelle and Layla appeared before her. "Oh... hi."

Ashley noted the look on Layla's face—for once she didn't look smug or evil—and decided she and Mickie didn't have to stick around to protect their friend. Michelle was enough for Maria to handle. With this in mind, both disappeared inside and left her to it.

"Maria, sweetie, you look amazing. The time off clearly did wonders for you."

She tucked loose strands of her vibrant hair behind her ears, taking in the compliment. It was funny, but now she thought about it, Michelle always backed up kind words with a condescending tone. How hadn't she seen this trait of hers before?

"Chelle, can we go?" Layla spoke out from beside her. "You said you were going to comfort me... you know, about the break-up." She looked very upset all of a sudden.

Maria would have been truly fascinated by the change in the bad girl if she wasn't so focused on ending this conversation as quickly as possible. "You know – actually – I really wasn't looking to talk right now. I have to unpack and Layla's issue sounds important so—"

"She can wait," said the unconcerned blonde, glossing over the now saddened look on her best friend's face. "We've been talking all about her on the ride home. I want to talk to you about something. About Randy, actually."

She wasn't a disrespectful person by any means. In all actuality, Miss Kanellis was the model student for friendly behaviour. But on this day – in _this_ precise moment – she found she couldn't fake a smile for her so-called friend. Now that she knew the truth, it was hard to pretend she even _liked_ Michelle.

"Are you okay, hun? You look pale."

"I'm perfectly fine. You, on the other hand, are not. Are you? Huh, 'Chelle?"

A flicker of a smile touched the flawless girl's lips. She looked like what was happening, or what was about to happen, was too good to be true. "Where is this all coming from?"

"This is coming from weeks of suspicion on my part, Michelle. I don't want to sound rude..." She trailed off for a moment, battling with her inner goodness. Despite how much she wanted to hurt her back for all she'd caused—for all she'd done to prevent any sort of relationship between she and Randy to form—she simply couldn't go to those lengths. She was a good person at heart, and now she was finding out it wasn't always the best thing to be. "I just _think_ we should have some space from each other from now on."

"Can I ask why? Or don't I deserve at least that?" When Maria opened her mouth to reply, she quickly interrupted. The tiny smirk on her face couldn't be ignored. "I find it funny—no, hilarious even—that your mood quickly changed when I mentioned Randy. I'm going to hazard a guess and say you two have been talking behind my back... am I right?"

"Does it matter if we did? It's not like you're a couple anymore anyway."

Layla El stood behind the tall blonde in this argument, wondering if this was just the beginning of it. The dark-haired student certainly hoped not; if she didn't have Michelle in her life, she would suffer deeply from lack of social skills, but at the same time... maybe it was worth trying to get to know new people if all she had to look forward to was a month's worth of bitching about the 'pretty little redhead' standing opposite her.

"And I bet you're just _thrilled_ about that, aren't you?"

Contemplating what to say next, the usually bubbly girl failed to keep her emotions gathered inside. She didn't _want_ to be malicious. She didn't _want_ to turn herself into a mini-version of the person standing in front of her. It was just sometimes... at times like these... nothing could be done about a certain mood and it had to be acted on. "No, I'm not thrilled you and Randy called it quits – I was devastated _for you_ when you told me. I thought about _you_ during that horrible time. But it was all a lie, wasn't it? You had no problem breaking up with your high school sweetheart... you just didn't care to tell me the same story."

"And what, let you get your hands on the one guy who was supposed to mine? You really don't have a clue do you, Maria? Every guy around falls for your pathetic Little Miss Innocent routine—hell, even that loser Jeff Hardy is in love with you."

"That's not true."

"Believe what you want, I don't care. He's not who we're talking about here." Intentional or not, Michelle McCool's true colours were shining through at least. "You can have Randy if you want. Whatever. Just don't think you can take away everything."

It took a long while for her to understand the meaning of that particular statement. When recognition did catch on, she wanted to laugh. What a ridiculous assumption to make. "You put Randy through all this... you put _me_ through all this... just so you could send me a message? Just so you could tell me that you're the most popular girl around here?"

"Everybody _loved_ me in high school. I was the most popular person there! And now I come here and I have to compete with you? No way, it's not happening. Good personalities get you nowhere, Maria – you won't survive in the real world with the goody two-shoes act."

"Maybe not." Truly finished with the conversation and unable to go on another second, Maria picked up her suitcase and began to walk away from the scene. "But how does it feel to know all of your relationships have been a lie just because you're not confident enough to _be_ _yourself?_"

She left the blonde alone with Layla to do whatever they pleased—as long as they didn't follow her into the building and stayed clear of her, she really didn't care. A grin curved her lips as she stepped into her room, happy to see it again. She felt like a huge weight had been lifted off of her shoulders.

"Everything okay?" Mickie questioned and shared her infectious smile. "You look... almost suspiciously happy. Weren't you just speaking to Michelle?"

"Yes, but I think that's the last time we'll be talking to each other. I finally told her how I felt and things are looking up."

"Aw, I'm so proud of you."

"Thanks. I think I might be too." Collapsing happily onto her bed, she stared up at the ceiling. "I'm proud of you too. You overcame your fear of guys and the way their mind works and got into a proper relationship. Now _that's _an achievement."

"It's almost like we're growing up. Scandalous!" A mock gasp was contributed to the discussion and both girls laughed. "Well it looks like we're sorted out – for now at least. It's up to Ash and Eve now."

"No worries," interrupted Ashley, frightening the two as she and her partner in crime appeared in the doorway. "This is the first and last time I'll ever say this so listen up: The next time I see Adam, I'm going to tell him I love him. I think I'll be 'sorted' too."

"And I don't even know what I have to do to be sorted – whatever that means." The Latina giggled as she perched herself on the edge of Mickie's bed. "But here's hoping I find what I'm looking for too."

The other three agreed on this. Who would have thought a few months at college and a new experience for all would provide them with such drama and expectations? All they knew was that eventually everything would have to fit in its proper place, and there was no time like the present to get started on it.

Especially for Ashley, who'd spotted Adam on campus while collecting the jacket she'd left outside. It was now or never.

* * *

So there's the next chapter. Sorry about the super long wait – I really don't have an excuse! Please review :)

Up next is the **last** chapter for **Ashley.**


	36. And Then You Kiss Me: Ashley

The Great Escape

_AN._ Thank you to **xHalosandwings, BigRedMachineUK, sophia0401, John Cena's Field Hockey Star, Grits0205, TJ Sparkles **_&_ **xTwistedxImperfectionx **for reviewing the last chapter.

Thanks very muchly! :)

Chapter Thirty-Six – And Then You Kiss Me

* * *

**ASHLEY**

* * *

Moving in day had arrived.

Well, this was certainly the case for Miss Ashley Massaro, who was wasting little to no time into re-moving her things back into their rightful places. She shuffled stuffed box upon box of her belongings out of Eve's room—humming merrily to herself throughout the hall, leading the brunette watching her from the comfort of her bed to raise a suspicious eyebrow—all the way back to she and Mickie's room.

It would be wonderful to call it that again. _Her_ room. The room where she once felt safe, with her best friend by her side and a place to call her own. Everything was looking up.

Today appeared to be different for the usually stubborn blonde. No longer was she feeling headstrong or overly-ambitious, and she had yet to figure out if that was a good thing, but instead she was rather... _relaxed._ She hadn't felt that way in such a long time; it was a definite relief to the busy system.

Mickie couldn't seem to help the beam on her face, which seemed to widen each time her best friend came back with more things and dumped them down next to her bed. She wanted to question the odd mood but knew it was all too obvious what it was about—the bright student was merely proud to have the happy Ashley back.

Thinking about it, she was too. It was a nice change.

She took slow steps on her last trip back to Eve and Maria's room. Her mind was full of thoughts as she walked the familiar route, twirling rebellious strands of dirty-blonde hair around her finger. A soft laugh spilled through her glossed lips before she could stop it. Who knew all she would have to do to find some sort of peace of mind was accept everything she'd been rejecting? How much easier would it have been to follow _those_ rules instead of her own?

She knew she wasn't back to one-hundred percent, and neither did she expect to be. It would be a fool's way of thinking to assume that having found the answer to her problems, her issues would be resolved just like that—it clearly didn't work that way. But she also knew that with just the right amount of time and respect for herself, her goals would be achieved.

Goal number one was simple: _Focus more on the positives rather than the negatives. Don't forget about the past but don't become too immersed in it. Learn from the events that were beyond her control and take a stand against it. Be smarter. Be better._

She expected this aim would take a while – hence it's number one position. Though it would take the longest time to achieve, it would be the one most worth the trouble.

The second and last goal was just as simple, only made easier because of her sudden confidence in the matter: _Tell Adam the truth. Express these true feelings and let him know that everything is okay now. Remind self that love... love in its truest form... is worth all the heartache to come in the future. Without it, how can a human being survive? It is a vital necessity to have._

With both rules heavy on her mind, she felt all the more powerful when she finally stepped back into what she was proud to call her old room now. Eve greeted her by blowing a bubble out of her watermelon-flavoured gum, and Ashley watched for a moment, shaking her head as the Latina chewed on noisily.

"Okay, this is the last box." The expression on her former roommate's face didn't change. She shook her head. "Oh God, what is it with you and Mickie today? You can't stop looking suspicious and she can't stop smiling."

"I'm only looking 'suspicious' – whatever you want to call it – because you're smiling. _Smiling_, Ash. It's like you don't even know how good of a mood you're in." Lowering her magazine, Eve added, "So I don't know about Mickie, but this is definitely a surprise for me. You kind of look... better... with this new expression of yours."

"I'm going to take that as a compliment." Ashley exhaled her sentence out as she lifted the last—and clearly heaviest—box from the bed. "Well... it's been _interesting_ to room with you."

"Ha, you can say that again."

"No more looking at that stupid poster of Ian Somerhalder and no more hearing your rap music blasting out of your iPod."

"Ditto – more towards your rock music though." There was a moment of silence. They made to nod at each other, but the exchange was somewhat awkward. "At least you'll still get to hear my gossip the next time we all meet up. That's not gonna change."

"Oh, joy." She deadpanned. A smirk later, she made her way towards the door, though not before raising her voice to deliver one last parting shot. "By the way, the vampire dude on your poster? Yeah, he's not that hot."

The almighty gasp she received in return was worth the hassle. The balance between them as friends hadn't changed all that much; even if she didn't think 'the vampire dude' was bad-looking, it was still fun to wind up her friend for kicks. As it was stated earlier, things were looking up.

Five minutes later, the blonde was settled back into her room. The first two minutes were spent just admiring the comfort she was about to slip back into, and the other three were used to decide which box of clothes would be going to the recycle bank on the edge of campus. Moving about five different crates of her own things had proven one thing: she had _way_ too much stuff.

"Well I hate to love and leave you, and I'm sure you're going to be devastated—"

"Bring on the heartache, punky." Mickie interrupted, swivelling around on her seat to face her instead of her laptop.

A flicker of recognition at her old nickname, only just picked up on now since the first time in years, sparked a shallow warmth in her. "As I was saying – _devastated._ But I'm going to go and take this box of stuff to the bank. Have you got anything you need me to take?"

After a brief look around her half of the room, the brunette shook her head. "No, I don't think so. I'll walk out with you. Guess who I'm going to see?"

"Your beloved punk boy?" Ashley spoke the alleged insult with hints of amusement. She got an empty chocolate bar wrapper thrown at her for her efforts. "Oh c'mon, I heard you on the phone just before I went to collect the first box of my stuff. Are you telling me it _wasn't_ Maria on the phone sounding excited because she'd just spotted your guy-toy freshly back from Chicago?"

If Mickie was going to keep up the pretence of nonchalance, it didn't show in her next gesture. Her excitement was clear for all to see as she bounded forwards, grabbing her friend's arms and bouncing up and down in her signature style. "My boyfriend's back! My boyfriend who _flew out from Chicago to come and see little old me for the day_ is back!"

She rolled her eyes playfully. Truthfully, she was very happy for her—in this moment, however, it was still a little fun to act out the part of bad girl. "Yeah, whatever. Let's go before you cream your panties."

"God, Ash—that was a little obscene. Even for you. Oh... this was what the old Ashley would say, I remember now."

"You brought her back and you're going to have to deal with the consequences." She nudged her friend and turned to grab the right box. "Alright, let's do this. I'm planning on having a productive day."

The pair made small talk until they reached the cold outdoors, and then parted ways, Ashley watching for a moment while Mickie literally jumped away to go and find her Chicago-born Punk. She shook her head and then headed towards the recycle back.

Was it just her or was the college experience upon heading back from break going to be even better? She felt like it would be. She and Mickie were rooming again, and her head was clearer when it came to decisions to make. It was all just so—

"Ooft." The girly sound – almost unrecognizable coming from such a character as herself – came suddenly to her. Famous for being too involved in her thoughts at times, she shouldn't have been surprised to bump into someone while thinking about her indescribable life.

She also shouldn't have been surprised to run into the person now standing opposite her, staring back at her with an amused yet oddly vacant look on his face.

Instantly, her stomach filled with what felt like a thousand little butterflies swarming around. She would have cursed herself for allowing such a moment—one read about in romantic novels she pretended to despise but secretly wanted to experience—if the focus wasn't entirely on him.

Adam nodded and made to brush past her. "Excuse me."

Confusion struck her for a moment but she quickly banished it away, determined to go through with her promise before she lost her nerve completely. "Is that all you have to say to me?" Traces of her stubborn self came pouring through in her defensive tone, causing her to grimace slightly.

"Hey listen," said the student, surprised to find she'd stepped in front of him to stop him from going anywhere, "I already poured my heart out to you twice – I wasn't going to go for third time lucky. Call me weak, but I really don't like being constantly rejected. It hurts a man's ego after a while."

"Oh. Well—"

"And I really don't have anything to say to you now—not when you made the obvious attempt to escape me by going back home. You couldn't handle seeing me here over the holidays, could you?"

"No, that's not the truth. At all." She wanted to laugh, but it would hardly remedy the situation. So she decided to explain herself instead. "Certain events and people—Mickie, mainly—forced me to evaluate the choices I'm making in my life... you have to believe me when I say I didn't go home because I didn't want to be around you."

"Is that right, huh?" He questioned with the casual sarcastic response from him she'd grown to hate... and completely admire.

"I went home to fix things with my family—and there's still some stuff that needs to be talked about, but I hope those issues will be dealt with properly given some time."

He seemed to believe her. Then he shrugged. "Why are you telling me this?"

"Because... because I'm trying this new thing out where I'm going to be truthful. I'm not going to lie to anyone – especially myself." Looking into his eyes, she couldn't help but to swallow. This was it. This was positively _it._ How was a young girl who'd never poured her heart out to anyone before supposed to do it so freely? "So if I tell you something now," she continued bravely and placed the heavy box she was holding on the floor, "Will you promise to listen until I'm done?"

Folding his arms across his chest, he simply stared at her for a moment. Was he testing her? Whatever the look was, it was working on her. He eventually nodded. "I'm listening."

Nervous couldn't even begin to describe her mood. There were so many things she wanted to say to him, and now was her chance to say them all. But just how was it was possible to put important words into a specific order when her thoughts were all jumbled and jumping over each other to get the first say?

"When Mickie told you about the rape, I was angry. Beyond angry, actually – I was so unbelievably pissed. I felt like she'd betrayed my trust by telling you my darkest secret." Skimming over those particular details, she licked her suddenly dry lips. "And though I understand why she did it now, at the time I was moving back into my old self. I thought that crawling further into my shell would isolate me to the point of being untouchable."

"Why would you do that to yourself?"

"All anyone has ever given me is pity for my rape story. I was just... _so sick_ of being given this sympathetic look. Everyone always used to say, _"Oh you're a victim in this, dear" _and, _"I'm here for me if you need the support", _and I always felt like screaming at them to shut up. _To just shut up._

"And hey, you're Adam Copeland. You're this guy who I love to hate and hate to love, and my best friend had just told you my pity story. I didn't want you to treat me any differently."

"You didn't give me the chance to. You avoided me."

"I know, and I'm sorry. I really am. It didn't hit me then but now I know why I was so mad... it was because I realized you're one of the most important people in my life. I didn't want to accept it at the time—I didn't want you to know that you're stupid, annoying ways have had such an impact on my life. That you, Sir Piss-Me-Off-A-Lot, mean more to me than any other guy I've had in my life.

"And what I'm getting at now—because really, I'm not one for long speeches—is a simple thing. A simple thing I should have admitted to earlier on, when you first confessed your feelings for me. Because we're so much more than a silly game now, aren't we? It might have started out like that but we've... evolved. There are real feelings involved now.

"So I want to say... I want to say... _that I_... that I love..."

A smile crept onto Adam's lips even before he knew about it. This had to be the best day of his life, bar none—and that was definitely saying something.

"Pie."

It was one of those moments. In a state of utter disbelief, he was caught in-between laughing and crying. She loved... _pie?_ Staring deeply into her eyes, he waited. And waited. Finally, he echoed the word. "Pie? _Really?_"

"Oh yeah." Suspicious eyes were on her as she got all worked up, silently cursing herself as she felt her heartbeat speed up at a rapid pace. "My mom makes this awesome sort of cake-pie, which I'd totally forgotten about until I went home. You should try it... it's good. Amazing, really. So yeah, I love—"

Enough was enough.

Saving the blonde from her pathetic display, he unfolded his arms, grabbed the girl by the back of her neck and pulled her into him roughly, as though the distance between them was simply too much to bear all of a sudden. The box she'd dropped between them was kicked aside without a care as the kiss was deepened; just two young adults on a cold day, with enough passion to create their very own fire.

Ashley pulled away slowly, perfectly still for a moment, and then rested her forehead against his. Her eyes were still closed. "You." She uttered through swollen lips a beat later. "I love_ you."_

"About damn time." Pecking her lips again, he pressed a hand against her cheek, brushing back the strands that had fallen around her face during the heated moment. "Alright, I'm going to head off then."

Fear clutched at her insides as he casually waved, giving _that_ cheeky grin of his, and made to walk off. "Where are you going?"

"To brag about how I caught the Ice Queen in my trap, obviously."

She believed him for a second. Then – scolding herself deeply for her mistake – she laughed. It was a nice sound to his ears; he hadn't heard it in so long. "Shut up, you idiot." Taking a step forward, Ashley hit him on the chest. "Come here and kiss your girlfriend."

"Girlfriend?" Only then did he smirk. "That sounds good to me."

And so the distance was closed once again, and Ashley allowed herself to wrap her arms around his neck to pull him in closer. She never wanted to let go. This was _it._ The _it_ every girl talked about but never had. Now she had it.

And she was loving every single second.

* * *

So there's the next chapter. Please review :)

Up next is the **last** chapter for **Eve.**


	37. Better in Time: Eve

The Great Escape

_AN._ Thank you to **xHalosandwings, MrsDibiase-10, BigRedMachineUK, John Cena's Field Hockey Star, Grits0205, Tiffyxox, xTwistedxImperfectionx **_&_ **TJ Sparkles **for reviewing the last chapter.

Thanks very muchly! :)

Chapter Thirty-Seven – Better in Time

* * *

**EVE**

* * *

It felt strange to be back on campus.

Though classes hadn't started up again on account of the New Year to come, Eve felt as though some familiarity should have been recognized by now. Instead, it seemed like the only comfort she could find was in Maria, who was more and more like her bubbly self after the run-in with Michelle the other day.

Never usually one to let things get her down for too long, she wondered if her odd mood had anything to do with the guy in her room at the moment. Jeff Hardy, dancing stupidly for Maria's evident amusement, was a blaring reminder of her past relationship—and Matt Hardy hadn't been easy to let go of. She wasn't entirely sure she had, if she was honest with herself.

Still, her history was just that: history. Wasn't it about time to leave it in the past?

"Hey Eve, care to showcase your dancing skills besides Mr. Hardy here? I plan to videotape it in a minute." The redhead giggled with delight.

"I'm going to have to say no – I mean, I wouldn't want to embarrass myself next to such a dancing legend."

"You've got that right." Jeff said out of breath, thrusting his hips in a strange manner. "I'm telling you this though: one day everybody is going to want to dance like me."

"Uh, I think I'll believe it when I see it." With a smirk on her lips, she lifted her lazy body off of her bed and sighed. "I guess I'll go and see what Mickie's up to. I'm sure she has something to tell me... maybe about how soft her boyfriend's hair is..."

"What about Ashley?"

"She's with Adam." She and Maria answered in unison, with the latter adding, "I have it on very good authority – okay, from Miz – that they haven't left the room yet."

Just one mention of Mike forced the brunette to recoil away from any quips she may have had for that particular statement. She said her goodbyes, making a quick grab for her leather jacket, and shut the door behind her on the way out.

She shook her head while she walked, the gesture meant for herself. She hated just how jumbled up her thoughts became when Mike was featured in them. On one hand, she was proud to remember the moment she told him nothing could happen between them—it would have been so easy to give in to temptation and carry out a heated affair, but she stood her ground. It was immoral and that was that.

But on the other hand...

It was hardly news anymore that another break-up was on the cards. The students on campus were talking about the split of Mike and Layla, who were thought to be the hottest new couple around. Of course, the brunette heard it from Maria first hand and thought it to be just another rumour... but was it entirely wrong to feel a spark of delight at the prospect of it being true?

It took a while for Eve to shift back into the present day. When she did, she glanced up from the path she was walking along and spotted two very familiar faces. Despite herself she smiled; even if she and Ashley weren't the best of friends, it had to be said that the blonde looked a lot better with that certain glow of happiness surrounding her. Adam looked exactly the same as he rested his head on top of hers while they walked in the far distance, one arm wrapped snugly around her shoulders.

A pang of sadness hit her, and she suddenly wished the new couple were both still back in Adam's room, unable to keep their hands off each other – at least it wouldn't remind her of how alone she truly was.

A small sigh spilled through her lips. It was time to remind herself, yet again, that things would be better for her in due time.

"Oh God, it's you."

Pulling her focus away from the happy couple, she narrowed her eyes on Layla, who'd felt the need to stop right in front of her instead of just walking past her. Was it really necessary for them to have a conversation – one which would no doubt be full of bitchy comments and back and forth arguing? She thought they were done with that.

"I could say the same to you." Stuffing her hands into her pockets, she nodded at the petite woman. "Look, we don't have to make this anything. You can walk past me – or I could walk past you, whatever – and we don't even have to talk."

"Too bad because I want to talk to you."

_Fantastic._ A thin smile was offered. "Why do I get the feeling I'm not going to like what I'm about to hear? What are you going to tell me?" She raised a perfectly plucked eyebrow, wanting to get her shots in first. "That just because you and Mike broke up that I shouldn't go after him? Oh... or that you'll be back with him in no time and I shouldn't set my sights on him? Lay it on me."

The dark-haired student was perfectly still for a moment. Then, as if by default, the bitchy look on her face seemed to melt away. Instead of folding her arms across her chest stubbornly like she usually would, Layla shrugged instead. She seemed... different. Almost human.

"This must be serious," continued the Latina, beginning to feel a little uneasy despite the smirk on her face. "You haven't called me a bitch yet."

"I don't want to stop to talk to you _just_ to call you a bitch—credit me with some dignity. Please_._" Traces of the Layla she knew poured through with each glare sent her way. Eventually, she decided to hear the girl out. "I just wanted... I can't believe I'm going to say this... but I just wanted to let you know that he's all yours. Mike, I mean. If you want to be with him go for it."

Eve was cautious, waiting for a moment before she spoke. "Why are you telling me this?" There was no longer any tension between them; just concern.

"I'm telling you this because I broke up with Mike and guess what? He didn't seem to care. He actually looked quite happy about it – though bless him, he did try to look sad." A faint smile came to her lips, but disappeared just as quickly. "I was in over my head with him from the start. It's _you_ who he wants, not me. If I didn't believe this with all my heart then I wouldn't say it because, trust me, it's hard enough to admit a guy doesn't like me more than you. But what can I say? He's completely in love with you. And now you can have him."

It was hard to find words to reply with. In a state of quiet shock, the brunette could only try to think of what she should say. Mike was _in love_ with her? She knew there were strong feelings involved, but had always thought it was all a result of a school boy crush.

And now she had a guy who she couldn't seem to stop thinking about who loved her? This was... insane.

But something was holding her back. It just didn't feel right, and Eve knew it didn't have anything to do with the person telling her this news. "What if I don't want him?"

"But you do – and I shouldn't be saying this because right now I think he's a huge jerk, but he's worth having. Whatever, it's your choice I guess. I have to go."

She watched her fellow student disappear. It wasn't until after Layla was completely removed from her sight that she set about on a different path. She knew exactly where she was going now, and what needed to be done about her confused state of mind.

-x-

"Cody, do you ever... do you ever..."

Amused, Cody Rhodes lazily angled his head in Eve's direction, where she laid naked beside him in his bed. Though she was covered up by the duvet, he still couldn't help the smirk on his face—it always was quite the pleasure to do _business_ with her. "What's the matter? Was I so good this time round that I... took your breath away?"

Without straying from her gaze of the ceiling, she smacked his bare chest with the back of her hand, and then dragged it back to run it through her messy hair. "Shut up, you idiot." A beat later, she became much more serious. "I want to ask this question but it might be a little too _deep_ for us."

"Baby, I'm nothing but deep."

"I don't have the energy to smack you again."

"Because I left you breathless, right?"

"No, wait. I've still got one in me." After hitting him again, they both laughed. She eventually settled and dared to ask her question, revealing of her personality as it was. "Do you ever wonder if there's such a thing as true love... like, undeniable, unbreakable love?"

She'd only whispered the comment but it only took a moment for him to turn on his side and face her. She stared back at him, concerned by the sudden focus on her. "Do _you?_" He asked instead.

"Maybe. I don't know, it's kind of hard to tell these days." She turned her gaze back to the ceiling, as if ashamed, though he stayed perfectly still. She could feel the heavy stare of his eyes on her. "I thought I was in an amazing relationship with my old boyfriend, but time and distance broke us up. Then there was another guy... who I'm not so sure about, even though I really _want_ to like. I just... don't understand relationships at all."

All that greeted her was silence.

"Please say something. I feel like an idiot."

It was beginning to show, too. He could see her cheeks heating up with a pink tint. Smiling lightly, he moved closer, taking her into his arms for comfort. She seemed grateful for the contact and rested her head on his chest. "Honestly? I don't understand relationships either. I used to think they existed. Don't tell anyone this—because I _will_ kill you if you do—but I used to watch all those corny love films and think maybe that would be me one day."

"Wow, that was really brave for you to say considering you're a man-whore." He felt her smile against his chest. "Remind me to mock you about it for all eternity to come."

"My point is, I know as much as you do. But we're still in college. Why are you talking about these things so seriously? You're probably going to look back on this day in twenty years time and wonder what the hell you were complaining about..."

"I don't even want to think about myself in twenty years time. I'll probably be a lonely old woman with seven cats."

"I'll probably be a famous man-whore."

"There's a lie in there somewhere."

"The part about where you said you were going to have seven cats? Yeah, I thought so too. You'll have eight, right?"

"If I wasn't so comfortable here I'd kick your ass." Eve shook her head, pulling away from him for just a moment to look into his eyes. "So are you saying I shouldn't worry? How do you deal with the whole relationship thing?"

Cody shrugged. His smile – she noted – was a little sad. "I sleep with lots of girls. If it makes you feel any better, you're the one I've slept with the most. No such thing as one night stands with you."

"I _think_ I appreciate that. But then what are we doing? Are we just finding comfort in each other because we're too scared to face our feelings? Are we shutting off our emotions? Are we—"

"Talking way too much? Yeah." He placed a light kiss on her lips. It seemed to distract her. "Have you ever thought that maybe it's _okay_ not to be in a relationship? I know it sucks to be single after being in a long relationship but it's not wrong or anything. You just have to find your feet again. Be independent, be... you again."

"Oh yeah? And how long have you been single?"

"We're not talking about me right now. Do you understand what I'm saying? Because it sounds like you're so desperate to have your own love story that you're not really appreciating what's right in front of you."

"Which would be... ?"

"The world is your oyster. Or something like that anyway. You don't need to be in a long-term relationship just to enjoy your life—we're at college, Eve. We have the chance to learn new things... to explore different things. Do you really need a suitable man at your side to do that?"

"I guess you're right."

She knew, in his own way, he was right. She'd been focusing so much on having her own relationship—a perfect little love story like in the movies—that she started to believe it wasn't acceptable to think about having any other sort of life.

Maybe it was okay that her love life was in shambles. Sure it would make her feel lonely every once in a while, but the chapter wasn't over yet. There was no need to close the book in defeat; there were so many things bound to happen in her life, and this was only just the start.

"... But are you saying there's been no special girl in your life? No-one now that you'd think of as more than a one night stand?"

"Maybe." He smiled coyly. "But do you really think I'd tell _you?_"

The Latina shook her head in disbelief. After everything she'd just told him he wasn't going to pour out his own story? It seemed like she didn't particularly care after a few seconds though, as he chuckled and leaned in for another kiss. Lost in the moment, she let her troubles go and kissed him back.

It was true that she didn't know what was going on in her life. Matt or The Miz? The Miz or Matt? This was always the question, and yet she knew it was time to let it go.

Matt—as heartbreaking as it was to acknowledge—was an ex-boyfriend now. He was someone to look back on and think about with lovely memories. She wasn't bitter towards him in the slightest and it was just... nice to know they'd had a good time together before they split.

With Mike, she didn't know. Would they be brought back together? Would she stop holding back her feelings and go for it? Would he move on from her again and let her go? There were so many unresolved issues with them.

All she knew right now was that she wanted to have fun. Cody Rhodes, of all people, had forced her to realize this. Adam and Ashley, Phil and Mickie, and hopefully Randy and Maria could have their happy endings...

She just hadn't found hers yet.

* * *

So there's the next chapter. Please review :)

I also have a new poll up on my profile page that I'd love for you to vote on!

Up next is the **last** chapter for **Maria.**


	38. Kiss the Girl: Maria

The Great Escape

_AN._ Thank you to **xHalosandwings, Cena-Wilson-Crazy, Grits0205, sophia0401, MrsDibiase-10, BigRedMachineUK, bathpinkdog, xTwistedxImperfectionx, Tiffyxox, quteash, John Cena's Field Hockey Star **_& _**TJ Sparkles** for reviewing the last chapter.

Thanks very muchly! :)

Chapter Thirty-Eight – Kiss the Girl

* * *

**MARIA**

* * *

"So, have you decided what you're going to wear tonight?"

Twisting her lips in deep thought, Maria swayed to the side in front of her full length mirror, wishing she could answer yes to her roommate's curious question. It was at times like these that she disliked having such a creative mind for each and every fashion taste out there; in her mind, it was crucial that tonight—of all nights—she _had_ to look perfect.

It was New Year's Eve – always an important night to look good – and if she couldn't spend it at home with her family, she would spend it with friends at the local campus bar, where a lot of people with cameras would be masquerading around, hoping to capture students having the time of their life while they waited for the exciting ten-second countdown.

But it wasn't all about being picture perfect for Maria; brushing aside her red bangs, she bit down on her bottom lip, trying not to allow her smile to become too obvious for others to see. Part of the reason, or perhaps the whole reason, she wanted to look at her best was because it was a big night for herself and Randy. Maybe he didn't know it yet... but she planned to tell him how she felt about him.

And being the most romantic girl of them all, what better day was there to do it on? It was time for a new year, and also a new, honest start. More than anything she just wanted that in her relationships: _honesty._

"No," she pouted, turning away for the briefest moment to look at her best friend. "Have you?"

"I think I'll go in my best jeans, some fancy top and heels. I haven't really had the opportunity to wear my pretty gold stilettos yet."

"Oh... you always make such a big deal about looking amazing for New Year's. I thought you would be making more of an effort. Oh, no offense intended there!"

Eve laughed, amused. Having known the girl for most of her life, she definitely knew the redhead never _meant_ to cause offense; Maria was the sweetest person she knew. "I don't know," the brunette shrugged, while the student turned back to her reflection in the mirror, "I just don't have anyone to celebrate with this year – apart from friends, obviously. Is it sad that I've never not had a boyfriend for New Year's since high school? God..."

"I thought you were meeting up with Cody beforehand? Isn't that why you can't go when Mickie and I are heading in?"

"Yeah, I am, but we're going to have dinner together first... which I know sounds like a date, but it really isn't. I've just really come to like him recently as a friend." Another shrug. "And as it looks like things with Mike aren't going to happen... I guess you can call me single tonight."

"Well me too, if something goes wrong with Randy."

"I refuse to believe you're going to get anything short of a happy ending with that guy. If the night ends and come morning you're not with him, I will be shocked—and the only reason I'll accept is that you couldn't find him."

Maria giggled. Then, just a beat later, gasped. "What if that actually happens – like you know when you say stuff and then it comes true?"

"Huh, really? I usually find I daydream all these things up, imagine them over and over again... and then, of course, they never happen."

"I hope that's the case for what you just suggested then." Pulling her hair up, she began to twist it around in various directions, hoping to somehow settle with a nice hairstyle. "I feel like I have so many things I want to say to him but I just don't know how to. Do you think that's what Ash was like with Adam?"

"I think that girl knew exactly how she was feeling but was too stubborn to do anything about it."

"At least she has now, and I'm really happy for her. Here's hoping we all get our happy endings."

The Latina smiled. The thing about being around Maria was she could make anybody feel better, simply with her optimistic attitude. The girl could feel down, but it would only be for a short amount of time before she bounced back into happiness, convincing everybody else to do the same. It was admirable, really.

It took another fifteen minutes for Maria to finally decide on a dress. It was a simple, strapless and black, stopping about mid-thigh. Short, but not enough to be deemed slutty. She then realized she could wear her hair down—and began to style her hair in this way—while adding accessories to brighten her outfit somewhat. There, sorted.

"Wow, you look great." Jeff offered a compliment in the way of a greeting as he stepped inside the room and saw her in all of her beautiful glory. He waved at Eve, who smiled warmly before looking back down at her magazine. "Hope you don't mind me interrupting... whatever this is."

"This," smiled the redhead, entertained by the fact he still thought he was intruding whenever he came in unannounced, "is me finally realizing how I want to look for tonight – even if it is a few hours away."

"It's not surprising, knowing you."

"And what is that supposed to mean?" She beamed, knowing full well, and took a playful swipe at him when he brushed past her to take a seat on her bed. "Are you saying that I'm indecisive when it comes to clothes?"

"Basically, yeah."

He offered her that playful grin of his she adored, and couldn't help but to smile back. He was lucky that he was so cute. "Whatever. Why wouldn't I want to look my best for tonight? It's going to be a New Year soon – I have to go into it feeling good about myself!"

"Fair enough. I'll probably go into it drunk... or drunk and dancing on top of a table. And I'm sure someone will film it and post it on the web tomorrow for all to see."

"Please no thrusting," interrupted Eve, turning to the next page of her mag. "That was definitely something I could have gone without seeing."

"You're just jealous you don't have my moves." The Hardy Boy winked. When she shook her head at him, he simply laughed and turned back to his friend. "Are you planning on dancing with me? C'mon, it'll be fun."

"As much as I'd love to, I'm hoping that when the clock strikes midnight I'll be with the guy I love." She answered. "It's about time that I sorted things out with Randy. Michelle has been in the way for so long."

"Oh... okay, sure. I'll definitely let you off the hook then."

Maybe if Jeff hadn't stopped in-between words, and suspiciously so, Maria wouldn't have suspected a thing. As it happened, he did—and turning to him, she caught the sadness in his expression before he faked one of her favourite smiles of his. What was going on with him?

All too quickly, an excerpt from her last conversation with Michelle McCool came to mind.

_-x-_

_"And what, let you get your hands on the one guy who was supposed to mine? You really don't have a clue do you, Maria? Every guy around falls for your pathetic Little Miss Innocent routine—hell, even that loser Jeff Hardy is in love with you."_

_"That's not true."_

_"Believe what you want, I don't care. He's not who we're talking about here."_

_-x-_

They hadn't been talking about Jeff Hardy at the time—it was all Randy Orton. But now... looking at him as he reached for one of her books, about to check out the blurb... she realized that the blonde, though exposed as a liar, may have a valid point about this boy.

Every intimate moment with the guy she called her closest friend, besides Eve, came to mind, and it all seemed so blindingly clear. They were so close because he felt something for her... something other than the platonic feelings she had for him.

Knowing that it would make things worse if he had the slightest clue she now knew about his feelings, Maria gave him a quick hug and a peck on the cheek.

"What was that for?" He looked confused. Rightly so, as well. "What – do you think I won't have a happy New Year without you to dance alongside me? Into yourself much, Maria?"

She merely shook her head, turning back to the mirror. "Shut up, Jeffy. I just... you're my best friend; I don't need a reason to hug you."

* * *

The turnout for the New Year's event was incredible. Even before she entered the place with Mickie, who soon rushed off when she spotted Phil in the corner, reading; what an unusual sight that had been at such a thriving place—she'd heard the noise while approaching the building.

_This_ was what could be called a happening place.

Anticipation coursed through her veins as she took off her jacket, feeling the warmth from all the body heat to be particularly demanding. There were many college students from her class here, which meant that maybe, just maybe, Randy would be here too. She didn't know whether he would be attending, but certainly hoped he'd know about her being here, so he could find her if necessary.

Out of her close circle of friends, she spotted Ashley first. The blonde was dressed casually but had a certain spark about her; Maria guessed, while she made her way over, that it had something to do with the guy who had his arm around her shoulders.

"Mariaaaa." Chris Jericho beamed at her from where he sat at the bar, drink in hand and Christian to his right. She'd meant to say hello to the couple standing opposite them first, but he hadn't realized this. There were no guesses as to why... "Can I just say you look... good?"

"You can say that. Can I just say you sound drunk?" The redhead giggled, focusing her attention on the guy beside him. "Christian, how much has he had to drink?"

"You don't even want to know. He was upset about his band not being picked to perform tonight - it's this new punk band that are local around here instead - and so I suggested he started drinking to drown his sorrows..."

"But Jericho here obviously didn't know he was joking," said Adam, filling in the blanks. He wore a faint smirk on his lips. "And so here we are, a few hours 'til midnight and our very own rockstar is on his way to passing out."

"Oh who cares?" Ashley laughed, looking up at her boyfriend. "We're all going to be drunk soon enough. Chris just started early."

Maria watched as the two interacted, Adam mocking her answer and then leaning in to give her a long kiss. It was almost mesmerizing to know that these two people—two very stubborn-in-their-own-way individuals—could come together like this. The romantic in her found it beautiful. "So hey, now that you two are a couple," she began, a random thought coming to mind, "Surely you can tell us now why you were forced to go out on a date with him ages ago."

"Oh yeah. What was it Mickie had over you that was way too embarrassing?"

Even Chris seemed interested in this answer, and the group waited until after she'd buried her head into Adam's chest, truly squirming about saying why, before she rolled her eyes. "I'll kick anyone's ass who repeats this but... _but..."_

"Hurry it up, Ash." Christian prompted. "There's only so many hours left until New Year..."

"Okay, okay. I was once... once _a fan_... of The Backstreet Boys." The blonde let out a sigh of relief after she'd finished the sentence, while the others struggled for words. "There, is everybody happy now? Mickie would have told Adam and I'd never hear the end of it..."

The answer wasn't underwhelming as such... but it _did_ leave them stunned for things to reply with. In the end, they all settled for laughter, though Adam settled for a smirk when she hit him playfully.

He kissed her again. "If your favourite song wasn't 'I want it that way', I'm going to have to break up with you."

For the next couple of minutes or so, they took their turns to tease her, and Maria chose to leave them to it, moving on to where she found Eve. The student didn't think to bother her best friend; she looked far too comfortable sharing a booth with Cody, Ted and Maryse. She did consider it interesting, however, as she walked away, to find he'd had her arms around her... they really did look like a couple.

Having talked to Mickie on the ten-minute walk over, she knew she didn't have to go and find her next—besides, she knew she'd only end up playing third wheel while the brunette made out with her straight-edge boyfriend for the entire night. They were inseparable in that way.

And so, just as she'd run out of people to look for, knowing Jeff hadn't arrived yet and she didn't know others well enough to interrupt their conversations, it was rather lucky that she spotted Randy just a minute later. He stood at the bar with The Miz, who she noticed was staring miserably at Eve. But his pining for her best friend didn't seem to matter when she focused in again on the guy she'd really wished to see this evening.

Was it possible to look even more handsome than usual?

Maria knew she hadn't been attracted to him for his looks in the first place—while, yes, she appreciated his features and knew why the girls were jealous of Michelle being able to call him a boyfriend, his personality had drawn her in first. Standing here now though and taking him in properly – with him not having a clue while he talked on – she felt the butterflies begin to swarm around in her stomach.

With glee, she realized that once again, when it came to him, she felt like the leading female characters she oh-so-envied in all the romantic novels she read. This was... simply an amazing feeling to have.

Knowing Randy felt the same way about her, her smile only grew wider when a throwaway glance in her direction revealed her to him. He did a double-take, slowly placing his bottle of drink back down on the bar and they stood there, a short distance apart, staring at each other.

_There's so much I want to say to him. But where to start?_ She bit down on her bottom lip as he began walking towards her. _This is it. This is the moment where I tell him I love him... but how? Here he is, walking towards me... looking so wonderful... and I'm stuck for words. Oh God, I'm... I'm stuck for words! No, what if I mess this up? What if—_

He stopped in front of her.

She swallowed lightly, more than aware now that 'now or never' rang true in this very moment. "I—" The girl opened her mouth to speak, only to be cut off when he cupped her cheeks, moving in closer, and kissed her full on the lips.

Wait, wasn't this wrong? Wasn't there supposed to be some huge romantic speech in which they confessed their love for each other (again)? Wasn't... oh, who was she kidding? It no longer mattered, not when he was kissing her like this...

Maria melted into him, truly happy to finally have this moment – her own little selfish moment – to enjoy. He moved his hands a beat later but only to wrap them around her waist; using this to her advantage, she wrapped hers around his neck, and they were suddenly as close as they could physically be to each other.

They found they had to stop for air sooner or later, and with regret Randy pulled away, but rested his forehead on hers in a gentle moment for them. It hadn't dawned on either of them such a passionate make-out in such a public place, in the middle of all the company around them, would look strange.

A giggle spilled through her lips as she stepped back, if only to get better sight of him. She was over the moon – positively glowing. This was everything she wanted and more. "I couldn't have said it better myself," said Maria to him, giggling some more, until he kissed her again.

* * *

So there's the next chapter. Please review :)

Up next is the **last** chapter for **Mickie.**


	39. A New Year's Surprise: Mickie

The Great Escape

_AN._ Thank you to **Josie, BigRedMachineUK, Grits0205, bathpinkdog, xTwistedxImperfectionx, xHalosandwings, Cena-Wilson-Crazy, John Cena's Field Hockey Star, quteash **_&_ **Tiffyxox **for reviewing the last chapter.

Thanks very muchly! :)

Chapter Thirty-Nine – A New Year's Surprise

* * *

**MICKIE**

* * *

"Are you going to sit there reading all night?" With a re-fill of diet Coke in her glass, Mickie wore a faint smirk on her lips as she slipped back into the private booth she'd been sharing with her boyfriend for the past couple of hours. There was a certain intimacy over here in the corner, despite the masses surrounding them, and she definitely liked it. "I'm starting to think you're ignoring me on purpose."

Phil placed a bookmark in his reading material and then put it down on the table in front of him, turning to her with a smile. She kept a steady grip on her drink when he leaned in, brushing away rebellious strands of her brunette bangs, and kissed her softly on the lips; he'd done this so many times – too many times for her to count – and the butterflies in her stomach still surprised her.

"Or maybe not." She eventually recovered, putting her drink down to wrap her fingers around his. "Seriously though, are you okay? I've seen you reading at parties before... but this isn't just any party, is it? C'mon, it's New Year's! You're supposed to be talking with your friends and having a good—"

"I _am _having a good time. I just like to read a lot." Chuckling, he pulled her closer. "And don't pull that pout on me. I think I'm growing immune to it. That's your bad luck."

"Yeah? Well I vote you'll never ever not find this pout cute."

Angling towards each other slowly, filled with the delicious promise of another long kiss, both were interrupted by a loud bang followed by a series of moans and groans from the crowd of students ahead of them. They turned, only to see a couple of members of the band setting up on stage, apologizing profusely for their loud entrance.

"Oh, that must be the band hired for tonight." Shrugging nonchalantly, she turned back to him. "Ashley was raving about them earlier back in the dorm—apparently, she has all of their demo CDs and whatever. But you know how she is; any band that isn't well-known or overplayed is her preference."

"I think I might recognize them actually."

She noted the confusion in his expression and pressed her lips against his cheek. "Well I'll be sure to let Ash know that there's another _awesome_ person out there in the world..." Moving to his lips, she was confused herself when they were unresponsive in the attempt at a make-out session. "Is something wrong?"

"Wrong? No, of course not. Except for the fact we're not making out right now." His cheeky smile reeled her back in, and she took pleasure in capturing his lips once more.

It was funny, but for a girl who didn't experiment in relationships back in a high school that was practically dating city, Mickie felt like she finally understood why each popular girl always wanted to have a boyfriend by their side. She'd despised those sorts of girls—wondered, in fact, why those sort of people could get any guy they wanted just to toss them aside in the end—but _now_... it was definitely a comfort to be in a safe relationship with someone who positively adored you.

She knew Ashley, Eve and Maria were sick of her talking about her boyfriend like he was the most perfect thing in the world, but when he was kissing her like this, caressing her cheek in the most gentle way... was it any surprise? How had she struck so lucky with her first proper boyfriend?

"So," smiled the girl when she eventually pulled away, looking into his eyes again, "I'm sure I told you about this thing I have with my brother – you know, our music challenge each week?"

"Come on, you kiss me like _that_ and then you want to talk to me about your brother? That's cold."

Her smile grew wider as he reached for her drink and sipped a little of it through the red straw. Undeterred – no matter how tempting it was to spend the rest of the night attached to his lips – she carried on. "Well I was hoping you could help me out. You met him when you flew out to come and see me, right?"

"You mean when I flew out, completely disregarding the disapproval of my parents, to come and sweep the girl of my dreams off of her feet?"

"Okay, okay... you've earned another kiss." After giving him one, she sat back. "Happy enough?"

"Not nearly. You dragged me away from my book just to—"

"No more sweet talk or making me feel guilty!" Mickie laughed, slapping him playfully. "You're good with modern music. He's put a twist on it and gone for new releases recently, and you know I can barely decide whether I like a song, let alone know who sings it. So next time he emails me, do you mind if I forward it to you so you can answer? Technically it's cheating _but_—"

"My kinda girl. What else are boyfriends for anyway?"

"Thank you. That's all I wanted to ask." She tried for a look of disapproval. "We could have been back to kissing a couple of minutes ago if you hadn't interrupted me. I bet you feel bad now, don't you?"

"No, I feel great. Now we can do it for the rest of the night."

And they did. Well, the happy couple made out for at least two minutes, without so much as a breath between them, until a girl's voice broke out above them on the speakers, talking loudly into a microphone.

"Testing, testing... hey everyone, we're _The Luchagors."_

Mickie felt Phil stiffen beside her, and looked away from the pretty red-headed girl smiling on stage at everybody to stare at him. He looked freaked out if anything, but like he was trying to hide it. "Do you know her or something?"

His words about recognizing the band replayed in her head, and she felt the tiniest bit uneasy for reasons she couldn't explain, as he turned to her with an expression she hadn't seen before. Phil offered a light smile, taking her hand. "Let's just say I knew her. That's Amy Dumas. She was an old girlfriend of mine."

"... Oh."

"Yeah." His grip, Mickie noticed, became a little tighter. "But that was a while ago. So if you think you're about to lose me due to popular demand, you're wrong about that."

He was joking again. That was a good sign, right? She'd seen him acting seriously before but not in the same way as just now; that had definitely been a new experience for the brunette. Her own smile was shaky as he kissed her on the cheek and then turned to pick up his book again.

Why did something here feel off?

It was a moment later that she slumped into her seat, taking her first sip of the drink she'd bought a little while ago. She realized how difficult it must be for him to see someone he once dated... perhaps a little awkward too? Well okay, now she felt better.

Smiling at herself, Mickie wanted to laugh instead. Just a sight of an ex-girlfriend of her boyfriend's and she began to act like their relationship was doomed – or that it would be heading that way.

Sometimes she had to remind herself that she was in a perfectly healthy relationship and nothing was going to break them apart for a long, long time to come.

* * *

It was inevitable that at some point during the night, the four girls would run into each other again and catch up with each other – as if anything might have changed in the short time they spent away from each other.

For once, Maria was the one with something to report, and she did it with a wicked smile on her face. "So you see Michelle over there?" Following the direction of the finger she pointed, they rested their eyes on the pretty blonde, who stood at the bar with Layla, a grimace on her face while they sipped their drinks. "The reason for her bad mood is probably because she saw me making out with her ex-boyfriend tonight."

"No one could have missed you," laughed Eve, though she hugged her best friend congratulations, followed by Mickie and Ashley. "You guys were stood smack bang in the middle of the floor. Cody had to point you out but then I couldn't take my eyes off of you."

"I didn't see you," said Ashley, smirking. "But I was too busy making out with my _boyfriend._"

"You really love using that title for Adam, don't you?" Mickie grinned. When the blonde recoiled, realizing that she wasn't supposed to act like the girl who bragged about her other half, the brunette only rolled her eyes playfully.

"Look at all of us," continued the redhead, her smile widening, if that were at all possible, while she glanced in-between her friends. "Ash is finally happy, Mickie has her dream guy, I'm blissfully in love and Eve... well, you're content screwing around."

She'd said it in the nicest way possible, but the girl felt the need to defend herself, glaring when the others laughed at her. "You make it sound like I'm a slut! I'm only 'screwing around' with one person, thank you very much!"

Mickie laughed some more, occasionally glancing back over at her boyfriend; he had his head, unsurprisingly enough, buried in his book once again. Studying him, her laughter began to cease and a smile took its place on her lips—even though she didn't know why it did, it surprised her to realize just how desperate she was to get back to him.

After the famous countdown to New Year's, Phil had promised to take her for a walk somewhere off campus – somewhere where they could simply be, and enjoy each other's company away from the cheers and whistles of drunk-ass college students. It would be just them... a perfect start to the year to come.

"You look like you want to get back to him." Nudged in her side, she found Eve grinning at her. "Go on then. Happy New Year if I don't see you again before midnight."

Wishing hers to them too, giving an extra squeeze to Ashley just for being her best friend, the brunette started on her way back. She'd made it only twenty seconds on her own before she was joined again. But upon seeing the interruption, she couldn't exactly complain.

"Long time, no talk." Ted grinned down at her. She barely had time to react before he pulled her into a hug. "I mean, I know we talked a couple days ago but that doesn't really count does it?"

"... Are you a little tipsy?" She eyed him up and down, wanting to laugh.

"Maryse says I am..." A beat later, he shrugged. "Who even cares? What's up, Mickie James? I thought you'd be attached to Punk's lips."

"I was just on my way back to him, but I can stop and chat with you for a little while if you want."

"No, it's okay. Really. I think the band is about to start up now anyway so I should get back to my booth. Don't wanna miss it."

"Okay, sure. Happy New Year."

After sharing another hug, he brushed past her, and she turned to watch him leave, shaking her head all the while. He sure was special – at least in her eyes. Catching sight of the stage, she saw the guys all set up and ready to go; only the redhead, announced as her boyfriend's ex earlier, was missing.

With a fresh smile, she approached the familiar booth where she expected to find her boyfriend. Her mind was full of thoughts of their impending alone time, filling her with a warm feeling in the pit of her stomach. She simply couldn't wait—and in the meantime, another make-out session wouldn't hurt.

Only Phil Brooks wasn't alone when she finally caught sight of him.

His book placed firmly on the table, the bookmark disregarded as it sat beside it, she was forced to focus her eyes on him. On him and a girl – a girl who wasn't her – kissing the lips she'd come to know very well recently. She could tell by the long flowing red hair just who it was, even if her face was covered fully by it while she almost straddled the guy.

She felt her heart stop for just a moment. Then it started beating double time, and she had to hold a hand to her chest just to gain control of her actions.

She waited, unsure of what else to do. She'd seen this sort of scene in the movies; the one where a girl comes back and finds her beloved kissing someone else. She always thought it was silly how they always rushed away, heartbroken – even if that's what she felt like doing right now – and not stay to see how the guy pulled away, shocked. Because that's what they always did.

But not this time.

Phil pulled her in closer, combing her hair behind her ears as if it was the most natural thing in the world to do with his ex-girlfriend. As if he hadn't done it to her just half an hour earlier.

"What... what's going on here?" Though her voice was quiet and mouse-like when she spoke, Mickie was still heard. She focused on her boyfriend's reaction. He looked guilty. And so he should. "Phil... I know this is your ex-girlfriend... but I-I don't understand."

She really didn't. This had come out of nowhere—for her, at least—and she really didn't know what to do about it. All she knew was that she felt very, very betrayed.

"How did this... how did this happen?"

In asking the question, she finally had the chance to look at his partner in crime. Her eyes locked onto the necklace on her chest. It spelled out her name in pretty gold lettering: _Amy._

"Mickie, I—"

"And what about _us?_" A sudden anger coursed through her veins as she pointed accusingly at him. She didn't seem to care that Amy was standing to her feet and removing herself from the picture. "We were just sitting there ten minutes ago, happy as ever."

"I know, I know..." Phil seemed to realize this at the wrong moment. In an instant, he cursed under his breath and covered a hand over his mouth. It was as though he'd only just realized what he'd done. "I just saw her... it was like old times... we were talking... and then it just _happened._"

"Things don't just _happen_—not when you're in a great relationship with someone else."

And now she could feel herself welling up. _Oh God, I have to get out of here._ She thought to herself. Grabbing her bag and ignoring the attempt he made to touch her wrist, she quickly stepped away from the booth.

Was this actually happening? How could things turn around so quickly for the happy brunette in just a matter of minutes?

So much for her own happy ending.

Rushing out into the cold night air, Mickie looked both ways down the street. She had no idea where to go... where she wanted to go... where she wanted to be. All of her thoughts were growing and building together and not allowing her to think properly after all that had just gone on in there.

Phil and Amy. Amy and Phil.

It all mashed together.

It was perhaps a good thing that she didn't go running off as – just a beat later – Christian walked over to her. He hadn't been far away—actually, he'd been attending to a puking Chris Jericho, who was off to the side and leaning over into an unfortunate hedge—but had seen his friend upon her loud exit from the bar, and wondered what was up.

Mickie collapsed on the curb, dropping her bag beside her and then pulling her arms up to rest them on her knees. Burying her head deep down into them, she started crying. The tears had been building up for quite some time; she just couldn't give way to them at the time.

"Hey," started Christian, his voice soft and soothing as he forgot about his friend to tend to this one, "What's wrong, Mickie?"

"I-I don't know." She stuttered, answering truthfully.

Because she didn't. This wasn't how her night was supposed to end. She was supposed to be the one who got her happy ending before everybody else – the one who had things figured out first for once.

Christian didn't question her. The blonde merely took a seat beside her and pulled the sobbing girl into his arms. "Okay, okay... just cry it out..."

* * *

So there's the next chapter. Please review :)

I have a poll up **especially for The Great Escape** which includes four choices – Ashley, Eve, Maria and Mickie – and you can now vote on which sequel you'd like to see for this fic :)

Up next is the **last ever** chapter of The Great Escape.


	40. The Future

The Great Escape

_AN._ Thank you to **xHalosandwings, John Cena's Field Hockey Star, sophia0401, xTwistedxImperfectionx, Tiffyxox, 208x, xxDaniceValentezxx, Grits0205 **_&_ **quteash** for reviewing the last chapter.

Thanks very muchly & welcome to the **last** chapter of TGE! :)

Chapter Forty – The Future

* * *

**THE GIRLS**

* * *

The New Year had come and gone quickly. While there were some grand memories for the majority of students – and embarrassing pictures too – the time for partying and getting drunk, for the most part, was over; all classes were back on and a serious regime was to be taken up again.

Though studying was hardly fun, there was one girl who didn't appear to mind spending the limited amount of time she had before class in the library. She'd come to know this place well—maybe as well as her studious best friend even—and had used it many a time to escape her troubles and gain peace of mind.

Happily enough, Ashley could now note that she had far fewer worries on her mind; in fact, angling her head away from the note-filled writing pad in front of her on the table and peeking discreetly at her boyfriend, she knew she wouldn't have any concerns for a long while to come.

She saw the smirk on his lips grow bigger, and had to hide her own; she'd quickly learnt Adam Copeland had a habit of knowing when someone was staring at him, whether he was looking in their direction or not. And sat besides her leafing through a huge book of psychology notes, Adam was definitely aware of her sudden stare.

"You should stop looking at me like that." He muttered. When she nonchalantly brushed her jean-clad leg against his, he straightened up considerably, causing her to giggle softly. "I'm serious, Ash. Otherwise I might have to grab you over this table and—"

"So what's stopping you?"

She was challenging him again. Catching the mischievous glint in her eyes, he couldn't help but to settle his smirk into a smile. How had he struck so lucky with this one? Whatever had forced her to give this relationship a chance, he owed it his life. Just to see her so... _full of life_... filled him with the promise of anything.

He'd never felt this way about a girl before. Ashley was special. Even though he didn't like to think about the future and what it could hold, he was fairly certain he'd be with her for a long, long time to come. Nothing would stand in their way and they would only grow stronger as a couple. Yes, he liked the thought of that.

"One thing you have to stop?" She nudged him and then focused on her notes again. "Breaking off mid-reply to stare at me. It's getting a little bit creepy, you know." But the laughter at the end of her sentence proved that theory wrong.

"I apologize." He raised his hands innocently, then lowered one to flick his pen in-between his fingers. "I was just so, you know—" A shrug. "—caught up with the image of you in your bedroom singing and dancing along to The Backstreet Boys that I forgot about our conversation for a second there..."

Despite trying to pull off the pissed-off look that she had perfected for him so many times, Ashley found she couldn't this time. "You're never going to let that go are you?" She shook her head.

"No. Pretty much no."

"You're horrible. Remind me of why I'm attracted to you in the first place?"

"Must be my good looks and charismatic charm." He gave a boy-ish grin – to which she rolled her eyes playfully and looked away again. "Come on, just admit it."

"I guess you might have that something about you."

"Well not to take all of the attention away from you." He mocked a bow in her direction. Curious, she met his eyes. "Why do you think I fell for you?"

"Must be because I'm the only girl to outrank you in just about everything."

"Yes – especially in arrogance. No," he sobered a moment later, "I love you because – above anything else – you're the most stubborn person I've met. You stick to your beliefs, even if they are a bit shaky, and I couldn't admire you more for it. You're perfect for me."

The blonde wasn't used to all of these compliments just yet. She merely blushed, unable to say a thing. He didn't mind though; quickly becoming used to her new-found shy state, and actually revelling in it, he leaned over, pushing the table away slightly, and pecked her kissable lips.

"You're kinda perfect for me too." She beamed.

And then she kissed him back, wondering how the hell she'd ever allowed herself to be stripped of this kind of affection. It was beautiful. It was _real._

Who knew where this relationship would lead in the future? And caught up in this moment now – knowing her heart was beating double time all because of the effect her boyfriend had on her – who even _cared?_ All she knew right now was that she was happy.

Happy beyond anything.

-x-

Logging off of the computer she'd sat behind for the past ten minutes, Eve felt better in herself while she gathered her things together. She'd just finished emailing her parents about her progress—despite having seen them at the holidays, filling them in on everything and, in return, strengthening their relationship—and now it seemed as if that was one thing she could put aside on her list of troubles.

In a strange way, she was looking forward to this semester of classes – even if she did have a two-hour lecture up first. With her mind not constantly obsessed on issues with boys, the brunette was warming up to her studies much more, and she was hoping to grow more focused on doing her very best in class.

If Mickie James could hear her thoughts now, the smart girl would be proud.

A smile touched her lips as she caught sight of Adam and Ashley on her way out. It was no surprise—she thought to herself, rolling her eyes playfully—that they were kissing. _Again._ The pair could never keep their hands or lips to themselves nowadays. _But it's sweet_, she mused. _I hope they stay together._

And she truly did. Even if her own love life was barely heading anywhere, it was nice to see others happy with the ones they cared about. A warm feeling trickled deep inside of her and she held onto it for as long as she could.

"I was just coming to find you." Cody's smile was the first thing she saw when she looked up from the ground, surprised to hear the familiar voice in the middle of her thoughts. He'd clearly just walked up the stairs, but was now turning with her stride and about to walk back down them. "Maria said you'd be here."

"Yeah. My laptop wasn't connecting to the internet this morning for some reason, so I decided to come up here and send off a few emails. Are you going to be a gentleman and walk me to class by any chance?"

"Eve, we're in the same class." At her smile, he shook his head playfully. "But if you want to look at it that way then sure. But actually—" This was where his smile returned. It was stronger than ever, confusing her. "—I came to talk to you about something else. And don't freak out when I suggest it. Or think that I'm trying to spend the rest of my life with you because I'm not, okay?"

"Um, okay." Stumped, she motioned for him to continue.

The student waited until after they were out in the open to do just that. His smile hadn't faltered yet. "So I was talking to Ted about what we were going to do after college—you know, just out of general interest because we never really talked about it before—and he mentioned that he wanted to travel. He said he's wanted to since he was a little kid actually. I'm surprised I didn't know that about him considering he's my best friend..."

"Seriously? I want to travel too." Her eyes lit up. It was nice to finally hear of someone who had the same ambitions in life as her. "Does he know where he wants to go?"

"Just all over the world apparently. It got me thinking... I don't know what I want to do with my life after college. I don't even have a plan." He shrugged. "So I've decided to be spontaneous and go with him. To anywhere and everywhere. And then the idea came to me that maybe... maybe _you_—"

Nothing more needed to be said. She understood perfectly. "Would want to come?" When he turned to her, a hopeful expression on his face, she couldn't help but to smile.

"Well I remember you talking about going travelling before and I just thought it would be something you're interested in. But don't make a decision too quickly. Obviously. It's just a thought for you to—"

"It sounds _amazing._ I will definitely think about it." She nodded. As her eyes caught a glimpse of the building they were about to head into, her smile grew and she turned to him again. "Thanks for considering me, Cody."

"You're a good friend, Torres. That's something I've come to learn recently." He pulled her in for a side hug. "And Ted likes you too. He said something stupid about me finally finding a girl who's actually a keeper. Whatever that means."

"Yeah, whatever that means." Eve echoed quietly with a giggle.

The Latina knew she had three more years of college to go through before a decision had to be made, if this option even held up for her. Who knew what would happen in these three years if so much had happened in a brief few months?

But there _was_ this small glimmer of hope she started to hold for the offer. The thought of travelling to exciting new places with good friends was one she wouldn't let go of for a while. It was something aside from boys and work to think about.

She welcomed it with open arms.

-x-

Holding hands with Randy felt like the most natural thing in the world to Maria. It made her feel as though the past couple of months—becoming friends with Michelle, fighting her feelings for him to keep her happy, the eventual break-up, the discovery of a friend's betrayal and then the wonderfully romantic reunion between them—had all been leading to this.

Was that silly to suggest? The girly-girl inside of her voted no on that question. This was just perfect for her.

"I wish classes weren't starting up again – at least not until tomorrow." She muttered, resting her head on his muscular shoulder as they walked through the throngs of students who were heading to their own. "Then maybe we could have another day to ourselves."

"If it helps I'll be sitting right behind you in our usual seats." She heard him laugh. "And I'll be staring at you like I usually do—completely ignoring the lecture—just to focus on you."

Surprised, she angled her head to look up at him. "Did you really do that before?"

"Yeah, of course – though at the time I had to tell myself I was in a healthy relationship with Michelle so I couldn't do it. Funny how healthy was the only word I could think of at the time to describe me and her together."

"Yes, well, we don't need to talk about her right now. Do we?"

No, they certainly didn't. Randy stole a kiss from his girlfriend and they walked on, their grip on each other even tighter than before. To anyone around it was clear that this new couple had started off with the most confidence and love any two people could hope for.

Would it last? Maria didn't know about him but she certainly hoped so; she hadn't gone through all this reluctance, struggle and pain just to end up with a damaged relationship. She felt that he was everything to her, even if they _were_ in the early days of their time together.

"Hey Randy?" Her tone was curious. "You think we're going to be okay, don't you?"

He knew exactly what she meant, breaking the hold he had on her briefly, only to wrap his arm around her shoulders and pull her into him. She smiled into his chest. "I think we're going to be perfect."

This settled her a great deal. When they reached their class, they broke away – though not before a quick parting kiss – to go and talk to their friends before the clock officially struck on the hour mark.

Maria's smile dropped a little when she came into contact with Jeff at the back, but she quickly reminded herself to pull it together. She'd been trying to act like nothing had changed between them since she found out about his crush on her—and in a way, nothing really had—but now that she knew, it was harder to treat him the way she always had.

Harder but not impossible.

"You're here early, Jeff." She eyed him suspiciously. "Did someone put you up to this?"

"No." He laughed as she pulled him in for a hug. "I just figured that it was a new year and a new start is in order. A new everything."

If she hadn't known what she did now, she'd simply smile and think about how grown-up he was being. But she couldn't help but to wonder if 'a new everything' meant letting go of his feelings for her and possibly finding someone else. She hoped so; it would be nice to see her best guy friend with a new love in his life... someone who wouldn't screw him over like Candice Michelle. He deserved the very best.

"Sounds good to me." She smiled anyway. "So we're still hanging out tonight right? Dinner and a movie with the girls?"

"Uh-huh. Isn't Randy coming?"

"Oh no, I don't think so. Something about plans with Mike. He's been trying to cheer him up ever since the whole dumping-Layla-for-Eve-but-she-doesn't-want-him-in-the-end thing." He laughed when she was forced to take a deep breath, and she hit him playfully. "Maybe another time. Anyway, I'm going to go and find my seat. I'll talk to you later."

"See you later."

As she walked away, Maria wondered why she'd just lied to him – for the very first time – about her boyfriend having plans; as far as the redhead was aware, he was planning to order in a takeaway and study. Even though he would be seeing The Miz for a while, it wouldn't be for the whole night. He could easily attend dinner.

Huh... perhaps she just didn't feel at ease having her boyfriend spend time with Jeff, knowing everything that she did. That must be it.

Her worries were put on hold as she slid into her seat—just as the professor walked in—and she turned quickly to the seat behind her, where Randy was ready and waiting. A smile from him reassured her of everything and she smiled back before turning back to the front.

Only time would tell, but Maria just knew she and Randy had a good future together ahead of them.

-x-

Knowing she would have to see Phil in her first class back, Mickie felt unsteady as she put one foot in front of the other into the room. Her head was down, her books were gripped tightly to her chest, and she looked like the same girl who started nervously in the first term.

She wanted to slap herself for acting this way; it wasn't _her_ who was in the wrong at all, and yet she felt like she had to cower away from her boyfriend anyway. Or was that ex-boyfriend now?

The thought depressed her as she found her usual seat. A couple of rows behind her, she finally caught someone's eyes—though it wasn't Punk's. In fact – unable to resist and taking a quick peek at where he would sit in this class – she realized he wasn't even here yet. The relief she felt at this was surprising.

Christian gave that sympathetic smile he'd given the other night, and she couldn't help but to smile back. Their friendship had definitely grown a lot more after he decided to help her out. He'd comforted her for as long as she needed, walked her back to the dorms—half-dragging an almost passed out Chris Jericho—and made sure she'd stopped crying before letting her go to her room.

And even though she'd rung in the New Year crying into her pillow, she could still feel the lightest smile grace her features in the morning when she thought of him and all he'd done for her.

"You okay?" He mouthed at her, gaining Jericho's attention in the process, who stared at him oddly, as if trying to work out what his best friend was doing.

She caught this and laughed. Then, turning back to him, she nodded. "Thanks." She mouthed back.

The brunette took her seat after waving hello to a bewildered Chris, and wiped strands of her hair out of her face as she looked to the front. This term had to be different for her; she loved to study, she loved to be in class and she loved to learn. Wouldn't that get her far if she only focused on that?

But her new thought pattern appeared to betray her when Phil finally walked through the door, looking tired and not at all up for the lesson. The professor hurried him in and he muttered his apology before heading up the aisle to his seat.

He stopped briefly in front of Mickie. Her heart beating double in time, she tried to block out the regretful expression he gazed down at her with. Funnily enough, it was easy to do: the unfortunate thing was that her mind went straight to when they first met and how mesmerized she'd been by him.

_Unfortunately for Mickie, he caught her gaze before she could look away. Now an amused smile curved his lips. "Can I help you?"_

_Noting how the students in the class all turned to face her, the rare blush crept to her cheeks. "Oh, um..." She trailed off, wondering what to say, only to be captured by the tattoos travelling from his arms down to his wrists. "Nice tattoos...yeah, that's it."_

_"Right..."_

Who knew that things would end up like this eventually? She certainly didn't.

By the time he'd taken his seat class had already started. She tried to pay attention, tried to be the study-hard girl she loved to be... and yet it didn't work. Why couldn't she focus on anything else but him?

Something light hit her on the back about two minutes into this thought. Confused, she turned into Christian's apologetic expression. He pointed down at the ground beside her and she followed, only to find a crumpled up note there.

Discreetly picking it up and opening it in front of her desk, she read the small words: _Can you ever forgive me?_

Of course. Phil sat behind Christian in class. The note must have come from him.

Taking out a pen, she wrote down one word: _No._ But she really didn't know. Then, just a beat later, she added a large question mark underneath it and passed the note back.

She didn't bother to look at his reaction to the note. Quite frankly, she couldn't really stomach looking him in the eyes and having to deal with that pathetic look of his. He hadn't bothered to contact her until now, and the first thing he did when he decided to was pass her a silly little note? He _deserved_ that no.

Still, as she tried to focus on getting notes from the board, she had to bite down on her bottom lip and think.

She'd thought she had everything planned out from the start—all the girls had in fact. None of the four students thought guys would get in their way at all; they were only interested in making the most of their college experience and graduating with only the best grades.

But who knew what the future held now? It had just been proven that anything could happen to anyone at any given time... so who was she to make plans that probably wouldn't come to fruition?

The future.

_Ha._ She scoffed. _Why am I even thinking about that now?_

Why was she? She still had this year to get through, and then another three. Come what may, as she'd heard many times before. Come what may...

* * *

So there's the last ever chapter of TGE! Thank you so, so much for all the people who review each chapter and make me so happy to see one new email in my inbox. You guys truly make my day. For the last time, please review? :)

Also, the poll is still up – so vote if you haven't yet! The quicker I get those votes, the quicker I can write out the sequel!

I only have one last question. Who was your favourite girl/couple throughout the series?


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